The Infinite War
by The Winged Pyro That Drowned
Summary: The Infinite War Series, a brilliant work of fiction by Philippe Painchaud, is a huge series of book that span from 20yrs before the war, to the next generations and all the way to the Mark II ACUs. Please enjoy, all rights to this go to Dotswarlock, AKA Philippe Painchaud. This should make sense even if you haven't played the game.
1. Book 1: The Infinite War

**Disclaimer: the only credit I'm getting is for putting this on fanfiction. All rights to the story go to Philippe Painchaud, AKA Dotswarlock, and I own neither the story nor Supreme Commander. If it matters, reformatting this to be put onto fanfiction took a bit of effort. I hope you all appreciate it, and I will be posting the rest as I finish formatting them. **

**Enjoy. **

**This is the highly professional work of art, The Infinite War Series.**

**The Infinite War **

Created by Philippe Painchaud (Dotswarlock)

Based upon the game "Supreme Commander"

**The Infinite War **

**Chapter 1 **

**Symbiont **

Year 3824, twenty years before the final battle on Earth,

Ivanna Dostya stood at the entrance of the monorail station, a simple backpack on her shoulder with what few belongings she had. She took a deep breath to compose herself for what she had to face. The seventeen year old girl needed to stay calm both for her sake and for that of her family waiting patiently behind her. She finally turned around and smiled, ready to say her goodbyes.

Standing before her was her mother and father as well as her little brother. Ivanna instinctively went to her mother first and hugged her: "Take care of yourself, machekha."

Ivanna's mother held on to her tightly and whispered back: "Write to us every week."

A few moments passed before they finally parted and Ivanna turned to her father. A mixture of emotions danced in his eyes; worry, a desire to protect, and confusion all at once. It was not his fault; her father had been a simple farmer all his life and did not understand what the human AI twining process really meant. All that most common men saw were the constant UEF reports detailing the war with the Cybrans and the Aeon.

Ivanna had spent many nights trying to reassure him, telling him that the Cybrans were just symbionts that had been corrupted with programs to make them impossibly aggressive. The UEF, however, had refined the process since then and there was no danger of her being corrupted in any way. She would remain herself, only… different.

The distraught father still did not understand why Ivanna wanted to become a symbiont, but he knew his little girl's potential and the fire that drove her to try and help win the war. He finally moved and hugged her with shaking hands, keeping whatever worries he had to himself, and trying to comfort her as much as possible. The letters will reassure him, or so Ivanna thought. When he reads my words then he'll know that I'm still myself.

Finally, Ivanna turned towards her brother who was looking away, feeling awkward by the show of emotions. She started to make a hugging motion, but then switched her stance and launched a half-hearted punch in his arm to shake him out of it: "Take care of yourself, little brat!"

That did the trick as her brother snapped out of it and turned to her with the usual scowl. He hated it when she called him 'brat' which meant brother in Russian, but she never tired of it. It was her way of teasing him for all those foreign TV shows that he kept watching. She hugged him briefly and used the occasion to mess up his hair.

When all the goodbyes were done, Ivanna took a deep breath and entered the monorail that would take her to the airport. From there she would travel across the sea to one of the UEF headquarters. She waved at her family as the train departed, and silently promised herself that she would prove them all wrong and come back once the war was over.

**XXXXX**

Nothing could be heard through the small office except for the muffled sound of people occasionally walking outside. Dostya sat obediently in her chair even as the man in front of her finished reading her application. Colonel Kerpins finally half nodded to himself before looking back at her: "I'm half tempted to reject your application right here and now, Miss Dostya."

The blunt proclamation nearly knocked Dostya out of her chair as Colonel Kerpins calmly browsed through her file. She had always been good at whatever she had tried to do and this was the first time that anyone had rejected her: "But I'm…"

"You come from a farming family, Miss Dostya," said the Colonel as a matter of fact. Kerpins shook his head even as he kept speaking: "Personally, I can't figure out why we're still striving to grow food the old fashion way, but I guess that the higher ups still like to eat vegetables and vitamins in non-bar forms. It's either that or maybe it's because that despite the UEF's creation, we're still stuck on an old foundation."

Dostya clenched her fists tightly but held back the harsh words that were coming to her mind: "I'm sorry, but what does my family have to do with my application?"

It was not contempt that filled the Colonel's voice, but rather a hint of admiration when he spoke again: "It matters, Miss Dostya, because despite your unfavorable starting conditions, you're in peak physical condition, intelligent, quick, decisive, the first of your class and according to this, you're pretty good at leading others as well. Honestly, I think that putting you in the symbiont program would be a waste of your abilities and I would recommend that you seriously consider joining our ACU tactical training courses."

The ACU - the Armored Command Unit - the weapon that defined the very nature of the Infinite War. Dostya swallowed nervously: "I'm flattered, sir, but I don't think that I'm made for the ACU program."

"And why not?" asked Kerpins immediately. The Colonel leaned forward in his chair, his voice softening as he did so: "I admire your dedication towards volunteering for the symbiont program, especially at such a young age. It shows eagerness and a level of patriotism that any family would be proud of. Everything that I see here, however, shows that you are made for so much more and no human that has undergone the symbiont program would be allowed to become an ACU pilot afterwards. The risk would just be too great for such a powerful weapon to fall into enemy hands. I'm willing to personally sponsor you into a career that only a few can even dare to dream of, and maybe even speed your way through it. All that it would require would be a bit of patience."

As convincing as the offer seemed, Dostya still found herself shaking her head: "Sir, I can't. I don't want to go on worlds so far away that I won't be able to see my family for years at a time… or be forced to kill."

Colonel Kerpins paused a moment to choose his next words carefully: "You know that the war out there is mostly about robots destroying other robots, and even should you find the enemy, odds are that you will be far away from him when his ACU explodes. We're not in the Middle Ages where we killed at sword point or with guns. In a manner of speaking, the information that you would process as a symbiont would kill just as surely as the information that you would input in the controls of an ACU."

The colonel looked in Dostya's eyes but realized that his words had not found a hold. Even he knew that as artificial as a battle would seem to be, the war out there was a lot uglier than he had just painted it. Kerpins sighed before completing the symbiont registration form and handing it back to Dostya: "The transport leaves for the symbiont surgical bay tomorrow at eight. If you have any doubts or want to join the ACU program then contact me at any hour and I'll answer."

Dostya thanked the colonel, grabbed her pack and left the office. Several seconds passed before Kerpins angrily slapped a hand on his controls and closed Dostya's file: "I tried to warn you, kid. I really did."

**XXXXX**

Three days later, Dostya sat nervously in the hospital's waiting room. She only wore a medical gown which made her feel uncomfortably exposed and she absently ran a hand along her recently shaved scalp. She had to admit that she was scared. The twining process did involve opening her skull after all and as much as she trusted the current medical care system, she still did not really like the prospect. Still, she was certain that this would be the best way to make use of her talents. When the meld would be completed, she would be able to analyze and treat information like no other human could ever hope to accomplish.

Her musing was interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps down the corridor and she watched as a patrol of armed soldiers made their round. She tried to dismiss it as the UEF being cautious, but some part of her mind warned her that something felt wrong. Just then, a nurse opened the door to her right and nodded at her: "Your turn."

Dostya took a deep breath to steady herself as she stood up, entered the operation room and let the assistants settle her on the table. She tried to ignore the cold sensors that were attached to her skin, and remained calm as a gas mask was placed on her face. Her eyes became heavy, but she dimly heard the two doctors talk amongst themselves: "White female, age 17, five feet seven, Russian origins... She's a volunteer, so we'll have to do an aesthetic job." 

A single notion stuck in Dostya's mind as darkness overwhelmed her: not everyone was a volunteer?

**XXXXX**

At first there was only darkness, like a heavy suffocating blanket draped over Dostya's entire body. The sensation faded progressively, allowing her to hear the people that were around her: "She should awaken at any moment, Doctor."

The darkness started to lift, but was instead replaced by a splitting headache. Dostya immediately scolded herself. What had she expected? She did have her skull cracked open after all and had been kept in an artificial coma for nearly three weeks if everything had gone according to plan. Her vision was blurry as she opened her eyes and she had to blink several times to finally see the doctor and his assistant moving around her.

"Good, she's awake," said the Doctor in satisfaction. The man turned to his assistant and nodded: "Put her in a sitting position."

The slow rise of the table made Dostya sick to her stomach and she tried to object: "What…"

"Be silent," cut in the Doctor sharply. The sudden command surprised Dostya, but what was even more alarming was that her mouth closed shut almost automatically, as if compelled to obey on its own. This confused Dostya, but her attention fell back on the Doctor as he placed his face in front of her: "Now, what's four times fourteen?"

For a split second, Dostya considered the ridicule of asking her such a question in her current state, but she was already answering: "Fifty six."

The assistant flicked a switch and a complex series of algebra equations appeared on the wall: "What is the value of X in that equation?"

"Five point two, six, eight, four, four, three," answered Dostya automatically. Her confusion was only matched by her amazement. She did not need to think about the answer, nor make the calculations mentally as the answer was there almost instantly in her mind.

Dostya had half expected to deal with her AI in the same way that she would a computer, but the integration was so flawless that she could not tell which part came from her and which part came from the machine. The lack of motor control over her answers, however, was starting to alarm her. Even her voice sounded different, as if it was no longer her own.

Without missing a beat, the Doctor picked up a rubber ball and placed it in her hand: "Throw this against the wall in a manner so that it bounces once on the floor and back into your hand."

Dostya was annoyed but complied and threw the ball. Her aim was off, however, and it got stuck between two consoles. The doctor bent down, picked up the ball and placed it in her hand once more: "Try again."

Without realizing it, Dostya's arm went off, but this time the ball's course was true and it rebounded so perfectly that Dostya barely had to move her hand to catch it. The doctor was not impressed, however: "Close your eyes and repeat it."

The situation was getting ridiculous, but she did as ordered and although she deemed it impossible, her throw was rewarded by the feel of the ball in her hand an instant later. The Doctor nodded while pressing a few buttons on his console: "Mental and motor processing seem to be integrating well. It's time to test the loyalty program. Open your eyes and answer the following questions: what's the worst act of disobedience, the greatest lie and the greatest brutality that you have participated in?"

What sort of twisted questions were these, Dostya thought angrily. A few elaborate curse hung on the tip of her tongue, but when she opened her mouth, the words that came forth were not the ones that she had intended: "I drank some Vodka when I was eight years old, I broke a whole set of porcelain dishes and blamed it on the cat and I killed a bird with a slingshot."

Both the Doctor and the assistant chuckled, which only made Dostya even more furious: "Tricky little scamp, compared to the murderers that we tested yesterday."

Dostya wanted to lash out, to scream, to do anything of her own free will. This was a nightmare becoming reality, where her entire being was laid bare for some mad scientists to play with. Yet no matter what efforts she made, she did not even manage to shut her eyes. The Doctor stopped chuckling then and looked back to Dostya: "Let's test the limit a bit. Did you ever have an attraction to a member of your family, murderous thoughts or been touched improperly by a teacher?"

This was going too far! Dostya used every fiber of her being to try and control her body to stop this mad game. The fact that none of it had ever happened did not matter; this was her life and not theirs!

"Increased cardiac rate and system strain," said the assistant while looking at his instruments. A hint of a smile appeared on his lips as he looked down at Dostya: "What do you know; she even managed to close her hand as if to punch you, Doctor."

The doctor looked down at the fist slowly and deliberately before saying: "Increase aggression control by five."

The struggle that Dostya had waged ended abruptly as she was overwhelmed by her twined AI and a single response escaped her lips: "No."

The doctor brought his face a few inches from her before speaking again: "You'll find that the AI is far stronger than whatever you can imagine. You're a symbiont now; a tool of the UEF. Trust me; your only chance of living a 'normal' life is to stop whatever struggle that is going on in your mind. You belong to us now."

**Chapter 2 **

**Slavery **

The first week was the hardest and seemed like an eternity spent fighting an unbreakable will. The feeling was not something physical like having the weight of shackles or something barking orders in her ear. As much as Dostya tried, she could no longer find the distinction between her mind and the AI, and so it was the equivalent of fighting herself.

The best way that she could mentally picture it was like a person ignoring an urge to eat only instead of being that person, her free will was nothing but an urge; something to be ignored, discarded and trampled. After a day spent in observation, she was transferred to the administration wing of the complex where she had been operated.

She was assigned roughly seven times the duties of a normal human and went through her tasks unerringly during her sixteen hour days. Through it all, whatever mental pull that she exerted did not manage to do the slightest difference. No stopping, no objecting, no speaking and not even the possibility of frowning or making a deliberate spelling mistake. Dostya would have tried to take comfort from the fact that she was not smiling or being agreeable either, but she knew that this was not of her making… they had simply not asked her to do any of these. It was most likely that every human around her knew deep down that something was wrong; knew that whatever smile she would make would be eerie because of its lack of sincerity or warmth.

It was at the end of the week that her greatest torment began. Since she was a 'volunteer', she had a task that included maintaining ties to the outside world. As such, she had to write a letter to her parents and she was tasked with making it so that they would be reassured. In short, she had to create a lie:

Dear matushka and otets…

(Help me…)

The operation went well and I'm slowly integrating into the UEF community.

(I'm a slave writing a lie.)

Although it was a bit disorienting at first, I can now make calculations like you would not believe! Had I known about it, I would have had it done before heading to high school!

(Had I known, I would never have come here.)

There's so much work to do around here, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to visit. They also told me to keep my communications in email for security reasons.

(They don't want you to see what I've become.)

Tell the little brat that his sister said hi!

(I'm sorry, please forgive me.) 

A press of a button sent the email and it felt to Dostya as if it had dealt a blow to what was left of her very soul. How could she be rescued when everything led the outside world to believe that she was living a perfect and healthy normal life?

**XXXXX**

On a distant planet known as Minerva, multiple screens flashed in quick succession through the laboratory. No simple human mind could possibly keep up with that level of information, but this hardly seemed to trouble the room's lone occupant: "Status, QAI."

A digital eye composed of spinning circles suddenly appeared on one of the monitors before a disemboweled voice filled the laboratory: "An analysis of UEF quantum network communications and propaganda suggests that they are preparing for another major assault on Orionis, while simultaneously engaging our forces on Procyon. Probabilities of success from this attack on two fronts are slim, but analysis suggests that the strain on their forces might leave us a window of opportunity to strike Pollux."

Doctor Gustaf Brackman's hand went to his chin as he pondered the possibilities. Although his entire body was but a holographic projection, he still considered it essential to keep his old 'human' habits alive. The Doctor finally nodded and looked up: "Establish contact with Mather."

A moment passed before Mather's face appeared on screen. As was almost always the case, the young pilot was in his Armored Command Unit, patrolling the complex outside Brackman's research facility. The lights from a trio of consoles were reflected on his face which was fixed in grim determination.

"Thank you for answering so quickly, my boy," said Doctor Brackman, genuine warmth resounding in his voice as he spoke: "An analysis shows that a window of opportunity might present itself for operation Seeding in the next few weeks by striking through Pollux. I need you and a group of commandos to be ready at a moment's notice to carry it out. Can I count on you?"

Mather nodded without hesitation: "Yes, Doctor."

The pilot's determination brought a smile to Brackman's face. The Doctor nodded in appreciation as he spoke: "Although the gains will not be felt for quite a few years, this might be a very important step towards Cybran independence. I wish you luck and be safe, my boy, be safe."

Brackman smiled and then closed the channel. He knew that it was risky, but many more lives would be lost before the end of the Infinite War. Such was the price if his children were to be free.

**XXXXX**

The weeks stretched into a month, and the load of lies and tasks only increased. Fearing that whatever part of her mind that was still free would fall into madness if she did not keep it busy, Dostya tried to analyze her predicament instead of focusing on self-pity. From what she understood, the interaction between her biological and electronic parts was improving over time. It allowed her to balance her workload more efficiently and take on more tasks. It slowly dawned on her that although she was only handling raw shipping data; her position was more of a training exercise before she would be transferred elsewhere. The discussions between the other employees indicated as such and they were expecting 'others' to join them really soon.

Still, at the end of each week she had to write another letter to her family and respond to whatever news that they were sending her. Each letter was another blow and it was hard to take any enjoyment out of it even while reading some of the good news. Just last week, her little brother had apparently made a girlfriend and the family's crop was good this year.

Sometimes, Dostya caught herself wondering if things were not better this way and if indeed she was not – despite her condition – filling in a vital role that kept her family safe. Each time that the notion formed, she dismissed it outright. It was not only because of her treatment as a slave but because her role – as essential as it might appear – did not solve the problem at its source.

She had analyzed the systems that she was working on and she could safely estimate that a good deal of it was horribly flawed. Badly structured databases, multiple sources of the same information, redundant reports, and conflicting data, all of these were maintained simply because changing them would be too hard in terms of bureaucracy. Ordinary humans were resistant to change, as it implied learning how the new system worked, but for a symbiont, a change of procedure was as natural as a new line of code.

Such a broken system could be fixed, but doing so on a galactic scale would take decades and by the time it was done, it would be time to do it all over again. Symbionts could probably do it in little time, but that meant trusting them with their core processes and the UEF was not willing to do that.

That thought brought about another important question to Dostya's mind. After having been through so much, would she have trusted herself had positions been reversed? Probably not, and although she still cared about her family and about humanity as a whole, she grew to hate everything that the UEF stood for. That hatred only grew with each passing day.

**XXXXX**

The face of an Analyst appeared in the corner of the monitor, the man apparently busy reading the data on his console: "Scans show that the enemy base has been destroyed, Commander, but there's still no sign of the enemy ACU." 

A flick of a few switches activated Zachary Arnold's tactical map on his main monitor and he mentally drew a line between all three Cybran bases that had been destroyed in the past twenty-four hours. There was a pattern hidden somewhere, but what was it? The Analyst looked up from his console then and frowned: "Commander Arnold, do you read me?"

"I read you, tac ops," answered Arnold in irritation. He then shook his head and zoomed out his tactical screen: "But for an intelligence division, you sure have the stupid habit of feeding me useless information. Of course I know that the enemy ACU is still out there and kicking! Even a blind and deaf newborn could have felt the localized nuclear explosion had I destroyed it. We've had that same scenario repeated three times already."

This set the Analyst back on his heels for a few moments and gave Arnold the time that he needed to analyze the data in silence. Something about this whole operation felt wrong and despite the fact that he was winning, Arnold still felt as if he was falling straight into the Cybran's hands.

Although it had few mineral resources, Pollux was still vitally important from a strategic point of view. Controlling it could potentially allow someone to gate directly to Earth. Zachary Arnold was one of the three commanders stationed on the world to defend it and felt confident that he could hold the planet until reinforcements arrived, but what if the purpose of the Cybrans was not to take over the planet?

Grunting in annoyance, Arnold reinitialized the tactical map on his secondary display and took direct control of his ACU. The thirty seven meter tall giant immediately responded to his commands and started moving towards the air factory not far from his position. While he was moving, Arnold keyed in the construction of an air transport and watched as blue lasers went to their tasks of assembling it.

The UEF Analyst on his monitor had recovered from his initial shock by then and leaned forward: "Commander, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to take a look at that last base myself and see what I can find," answered Arnold dismissively: "Those danged Titans could not pick up a clue even if it fell straight in their monitor."

Arnold watched as the finished transport took flight and issued the commands to have it pick him up. At the same time, he had the local Broadswords switch to assist him instead of patrolling around his base. When he looked back at the corner of his screen, he was not surprised to see the Analyst shaking his head urgently: "That's too dangerous, sir! We don't know the extent of the Cybran's air force since they have stealth capabilities. If your ACU is destroyed in flight…"

Arnold slammed his fist next to the display: "I know what would happen if I blew up, tac ops! Every unit in the sector would deactivate and then self-destruct, but I have to do something. So you can assist me, shut up, or come take my place!"

Arnold's outburst was again rewarded with silence, and he allowed himself the luxury of closing his eyes for a moment's rest. It was time to see for himself what these terrorists were up to. 

**Chapter 3 **

**Rebellion **

"Implant integration is ahead of schedule," said the doctor's assistant as he pressed a few buttons on his data pad. The man looked up at Dostya for a second before looking back down again: "Nervous systems are stable and there are no signs of mental instability. So far, I'd say that she is a very promising specimen and we might even transfer her to headquarters if she keeps up the good performance."

Dostya had always liked being praised when she had attended school, but that had been when she had been treated like a human and not some kind of exceptional pet. The small part of her that was still her own struggled furiously to find some way, any way, to get back at the doctor and his assistant that were talking in front of her. Not even a scowl appeared for all of her efforts.

The assistant turned around then and looked at the other symbiont who was sitting in the chair opposite Dostya: "I have my doubt about this one, however. Something about his test results just does not seem right."

Dostya watched the other symbiont in front of her. Like her, his head was clean shaven, but his face had quite a few scars. This indicated that complications had occurred when they had done his facial circuitry. The end result was a mess with most of the blue circuits barely shining. For the first time, it occurred to Dostya that she had not seen her own reflection since the operation and that she had no idea what she looked like anymore.

The assistant's concern puzzled the Doctor who walked closer and raised an eyebrow: "What has you worried? If it's his criminal record then I assure you that we've reformed serial killers that were far worse than him."

The assistant picked up his pad and looked at it again: "Even so, Doctor, I feel that we might have underestimated his aggression level and that we should increase the restraining factor by at least ten points."

The doctor looked at his assistant and then back at the new symbiont: "Well, let's test your theory and jump straight to the spicy questions. Did you ever have an attraction to a member of your family, a murderous thought or been touched improperly by a teacher?"

The symbiont shrugged slightly, something that amazed Dostya for some reason: "Yes, yes and yes."

The doctor and the assistant blinked in confusion and had Dostya been able to, she would have burst out laughing. The assistant checked the file in his hands again and frowned: "It says here that you're an orphan, so that's not right. How did he manage to lie?"

Although the question was not directed at him, the symbiont managed to answer it anyway: "You'd be surprised as to just how many impulses you can have when you're dead drunk for three weeks straight. That or…"

Both the Doctor and his assistant looked up at him: "Or?"

"Or I'm just a dumbass," answered the symbiont. As the doctor and his assistant started adjusting the parameters to tame the disobedient symbiont, Dostya felt the corner of her lip twist in a semblance of a smile. He was rude, insulting, probably an idiot and someone that she would have avoided in her past life. Right now though, he was the most welcomed sight that she had seen in months.

**XXXXX**

Rats scurried deep below the surface in the ancient sewage system. Had the UEF wanted, they could have invested the necessary resources to properly recycle the materials before building the new city above, but they had not. Instead, they had built upon the ruins much like the way that the UEF had been built atop the ruins of the old Earth Empire.

Suddenly, a spark flashed in the middle a tunnel; no more than a flash of static electricity. A second later, another, bigger one flashed in the middle of nowhere and was quickly followed by a massive blast. Where once there had been nothing now stood a module the size of a small truck. The heat wave had singed the walls, melted the closest pipes and killed every rat in the area, leaving behind the stench of burning flesh.

A moment passed before the module opened and a group of six armed commandos in black combat uniforms jumped out. They took a moment to grasp their surroundings before splitting into two teams that rushed into the tunnels. One team was heading towards the local quantum gate while the other was rushing towards the Symbiont facility.

**XXXXX**

"I would still advise that we bring it up another notch," said the Assistant while scowling: "It's possible that this one's brain is so fried that the concept of doing the 'right' thing is messed up. He won't be as efficient as the other one because of such restraints, but still…"

Dostya felt her heart sink, and chose to ignore what the doctor was saying. So this is why she was so easily controlled; because she had a normal life, a loving family and the understanding of what good and evil was? She felt her shoulders sag and she unconsciously looked down at her hands, feeling even more miserable.

"I promise you that I'll kill you one of these days, Doctor," spat the symbiont back. The words mirrored Dostya's thoughts, but shocked her to her core. He should not have been able to say that.

Dostya looked up and saw the symbiot raise his hands as if to strangle the Doctor. She realized just then that she should not have been capable of lowering her head in the first place. The assistant was quickly realizing that himself: "Doctor, his marks are turning red!"

Just then, the symbiont sprung off the chair and jumped at the Doctor, his hands closing around his throat with a bestial snarl on his face: "I'll kill you!"

The assistant scrambled backwards, his hands reaching for the security button. Dostya saw it all in slow motion and a single thought formed into her mind: she had to stop him!

No sooner had the thought formed that she remembered the surgical tool that had negligibly been left on the table to her right. Her hand flashed out and although she had never thrown a weapon before, it flew flawlessly and caught the assistant in his leg, sending him tumbling forward and slamming his head violently on the operation table.

She was amazed by what she had managed to do, but the bestial grunts to her right brought her back to reality. The symbiont had crushed the doctor's throat, but was still squeezing, confusing the doctor's dying spasms as signs of struggle. Not understanding what was happening, but knowing that they had to escape, Dostya made her way to the symbiont and tried to pry him off: "Come on, we have to move!"

The door burst open then and Dostya saw a UEF soldier take aim with his rifle. With no time left to spare, she tackled the symbiont as violently as she could, unconsciously calculating the best way for her to push him aside while bullets narrowly missed them both. They fell behind one of the operating chairs as a hail of bullets burst through the nearby consoles and medical equipment.

Dostya was wondering how they would get out of this when the bullet fire was interrupted by a single sputtering sound followed by a wet gurgle. She looked up and saw the soldier fall forward, his throat having been shot through by a weapon that left the wound dry and cauterized. Behind him stood a black armored man with a laser rifle in hand. The symbiont under Dostya disentangled himself and was about to charge when the man raised his visor, exposing his own red facial markings: "Follow me, we have no time!"

**XXXXX**

"This was a quantum gate," observed Arnold as he glanced at the wreckage in front of him. The UEF ACU stood in the middle of the destroyed Cybran base. All around, Titans - the strongest siege bots available in the UEF's arsenal – patrolled the area while Broadsword gunships hovered above him.

Without a word, Arnold aimed the ACU's building laser at the wreckage and activated a slow reclamation protocol. Twin blue lasers surged forth, disassembling the wreckage piece by piece and trying to recover as much information as possible. Arnold looked at the fractured pieces of data, but his breath caught in his throat when he saw the incomplete set of coordinates.

A push of a button uploaded the data back to Earth even as Arnold opened a channel: "Tac ops, this is Arnold. I have reasons to believe that the Cybran's true objective was to gate to Earth. Here are the partial coordinates that I've reclaimed. If my hunch is correct then they probably gated near the quantum gate nexus of old New York."

The answer made Arnold cringe: "Negative, commander. An ACU gating in would have been pretty obvious no matter where it landed. This is obviously disinformation to…"

"Damn it tac ops, you're not even listening," interrupted Arnold while slamming a fist against his chair: "I never said an ACU gated to Earth! It must be something small like a sabotage team or something that could gate in undetected. Every sign here shows that they are already on Earth instead of fighting to control this world and they might be using Earth's own gate to get out once they are done. You must shut down Earth's gates immediately!"

The tactical officer's annoyed voice came back: "We'll take it under advisement. In the meantime we want you to move to point zero, five…"

Arnold closed the channel and opened another line: "Desjar, its Arnold. I need you to assume command of my forces while I gate back to Earth."

Another ACU pilot appeared on Arnold's screen: "I've been listening in. You probably know the consequences of disobeying a direct order for both of us if I accept this."

"Damn it, Desjar!" grumbled Arnold in frustration: "They have their noses so far up their superior's rears that they can't even glance away from their bureaucratic crap. Meanwhile, we're the ones getting screwed!"

Desjar sighed audibly: "Fine, but you owe me big time after this one."

A smile appeared on Arnold's face as he tried to minimize the possible repercussions: "Worst case scenario is I'm wrong, I'm back in a few, you hand me my forces back and we get screwed by tac ops later. At least this way we'll see it coming!"

Desjar sighed again: "Oh good, but at least try to stop by the supermarket and buy some lube before you gate back."

**XXXXX**

"Hold on!" cried one of the Cybrans as he twisted the wheel to the right. The ground transport went into a tight turn that threw everyone off balance. Dostya desperately held on to the woman that was sprawled on the vehicle's floor and maintained pressure on her bleeding chest. There were a good twenty symbionts in the vehicle, without counting the three black armored Cybrans that had come to their rescue. Of the twenty, eight had suffered various wounds during their escape, but there was no time to pause and treat them. By now all of Earth's forces were becoming aware of their existence and it would only be a matter of time before they were intercepted and killed.

At the front of the transport, one of the Cybrans was talking into his transmitter while the other was navigating through the traffic: "Yes, we have twenty of them and are heading to the rendezvous. How's the gate coming up?"

Their leader listened for an answer before turning towards the passengers: "Listen up! We're making a dash for the nearby quantum complex and we'll be coming in quick for a gate to gate transport. It's a lot less bumpy than a hot drop, but we'll still be in for a wild ride. When we're about to hit the gate get in crash positions, hands on your head and keep your eyes closed. With a bit of luck, we'll be out of here and into safe territory in no time!"

A few gunfire shots hit the transport and the commando at the rear returned fire with his laser rifle. Dostya did her best to keep the pressure on the injured woman's chest, but looked around briefly. Every face around her displayed fear, hope, desperation, eagerness or even exuberance. What struck her to the core, however, was that no matter what ethnic background they came from, they all looked so very… human.

The leader of the commando team brought a hand to his ear and shouted over the ruckus: "We've entered the gate complex and we're almost through! Delta team, are you close by?"

An explosion behind them followed by a cheer brought the leader's attention to the rear. He smiled when he realized that Delta team was in the transport that was a bit further back: "They're barely a minute behind us. We're as good as home free!"

A cheer resounded through the transport as the leader of the commandos turned back to look ahead. The gate in front of them was activate with the coordinates locked in and enough power for both transports. His smile vanished when the gate next to it activated and the giant foot of a UEF ACU materialized through.

**XXXXX**

Arnold's stomach lurched as it always did, but he found that once again he had materialized in one piece. His sensors immediately flared in warning and his tactical screen lit up with the image of two transports being displayed. Both had been coded with Cybran signatures by the local tactical center and he immediately readied his blaster. The main gun of his ACU was already aimed at the rear transport and he fired without thinking, blowing it to pieces in a single shot.

His aim then shifted to the first transport, but it was too close by now to get a firm lock and it was almost at the portal. He fired anyway while aiming at the ground, sending it flying through the air and crashing through the portal. It flashed once and then disappeared to whatever destination had been programmed. Arnold watched as the gate went offline, overheating in the process.

**Chapter 4 **

**Time for a Drink **

Smoke blocked Dostya's vision and it felt to her as if someone had turned all of her organs upside down a few dozen times. A hand grasped her shoulder, dragged her out of what was left of the transport and eased her down on the ground. She tried to thank the commando, but he was already heading back into the transport to help the others.

The sound of something massive stomping around not far away startled Dostya and she looked around in panic, expecting the UEF ACU to be ready to finish what it had started. There was indeed an ACU waiting nearby, but it was not part of the UEF military. Towering over them with its massive frame was a Cybran ACU, the kind of weapon that had always been described as 'the enemy' on the news. Spikes covered its surface and the head had two sets of red eyes that were looking down at them.

The few survivors of the transports were being treated by the three commandos who were busy administering emergency first aid. Dostya looked down to see herself covered in blood, but it seemed that it was not her own. She kept gazing at her hands just as someone slumped next to her: "Thanks."

She looked to her side to see the symbiont that had been with her in the laboratory: "Thanks for pushing me out of the way in that lab, when the soldier shot at me. The name's Pent, Jorus Pent."

Jorus extended a hand and Dostya was about to shake it when she remembered the blood that was on her own. Noticing this, Jorus overextended his hand, grasped hers and shook it anyway. The shock gradually faded and she managed to say: "Dostya, Ivanna Dostya".

Jorus was about to speak again when one of the commandos interrupted them: "We have another gate powered up for an immediate transport back into Cybran territory. You two ready for this?"

Dostya looked up and tried to answer, tried to find something to say after over a month of being forced into silence. Jorus noticed this and merely shrugged: "Got booze where we're going?"

The commando was surprised by the question, but nodded: "Yeah, and the first round is on me."

Jorus jumped to his feet: "Good enough for me. Come on kid, time to blow this joint before it does."

As if on cue, a dozen interceptors passed overhead and the sound of a distant battle reached them. The Cybran ACU turned around slowly and emitted a shrieking whine. Bolts of light danced over its surface briefly before it disappeared and the only indication that it had activated its stealth and cloaking systems was the footsteps that appeared on the ground as it moved away. Dostya looked at the spot where the ACU had vanished and briefly wondered what kind of person could fight wars on such a huge scale alone.

**XXXXX**

"What you did was unacceptable," said General Trenk with a tone that left no room for compromise: "You disobeyed orders, risked the safety of your assigned world and gated to Earth without permission. One of you is guilty of doing it and the other of supporting him. I'm not sure if the proper punishment should be to court-martial you or just shoot you right here!"

Arnold and Desjar stood side by side back on Earth, waiting for their punishment. Through it all, only one thought swirled through Arnold's mind: 'I definitely should've bought that lube'.

"And if either of you so much as disobeys one of my orders in the future then know that I'll shoot you myself," concluded the General while straightening his uniform. Arnold and Desjar looked at each other in confusion before turning back to General Trenk: "But sir, we've never been under your orders."

"Well, you are now, soldier," said Trenk as though the point had been obvious: "What you did took guts, fast thinking and some amount of brains. That's exactly what we need on the front line right now if we're going to take back what the Aeon and the Cybrans took from us."

The General half nodded towards the report that was waiting on his desk: "Whether it followed protocol or not, you single handedly thwarted a Cybran sabotage mission. The equipment found in the wreckage from one of the transports has revealed important data that will help us remove the viruses that they installed in our network. My analysts also state that there is a high probability that the last transport had its molecules dispersed across the galaxy. For those reasons, Commander Arnold, you have been promoted to Colonel and the two of you will be working together on the front line until further notice."

The shock sent both pilots reeling and it was all they could do not to burst out in a joyful cry. The General then waved them off: "Now the both of you are dismissed and had better get out of my office before I change my mind and have you thrown in the brig. I must be getting soft in my old age."

Arnold and Desjar saluted and left the office. General Trenk chuckled when they were gone and shook his head: "Crazy bastards."

**XXXXX**

Another flash of light seemed to fill Dostya's very being as the gate was activated. It was over in an instant as they traveled through space and appeared on the surface of another world. A dozen Cybran technicians moved towards the transport pod and helped its occupants out as quickly as they could in order to tend to the wounded, while also clearing the gate. Of the twenty symbionts and six commandos, only eight symbionts and three commandos had survived the return trip.

One of the medics – the chief from the looks of her – spoke briefly to the commandos, but Dostya could not make out the words. The leader of the commando team motioned towards Pent and Dostya and nodded, but then motioned towards the other symbionts and shook his head sadly. The chief medical officer issued orders to everyone and then came towards Dostya: "My name is Ell. If you'll follow me, we'll get the two of you patched and cleaned up."

"What's the matter with the other symbionts?" asked Dostya, ignoring the request. She almost regretted the harshness of her tone, but she was past the stage where she would simply follow orders blindly. The first time had been disastrous enough. The chief medical officer nodded slowly, her eyes full of compassion: "I understand your suspicions, especially after all that you've been through. Simply put, the others were not as fortunate as you were and they have been under the sway of the loyalty program for a lot longer than either of you. They will need to be treated and follow a therapy course for a long while before their own individuality can be restored to what it once was."

"I'm sorry," said Dostya, feeling guilty for her suspicion. Ell gently placed a hand on her shoulder: "Don't be. Every Cybran – even those that have been born free – has been taught the effects of the loyalty program and to care for our lost brothers and sisters. Rest assured that you are amongst friends here."

With that, Ell led them to another room where she took care of their minor bruises and cuts. Once that was done, she consulted her data pad before speaking again: "Ok, now there's the cosmetic part. It might be a bit premature and you don't need to take any decisions right now, but the two of you should know that with a minor surgery, we can rearrange your facial circuits and a simple laser treatment can be used to stimulate your hair follicles."

"What are they for?" asked Pent while scratching the side of his face.

Ell turned towards Pent and explained patiently: "Doctor Brackman was forced to implement facial circuitry by the old Earth Empire in his original design. It was meant to help distinguish between normal and upgraded citizens. He went a step further and connected them to the AI so that their light signals could be used as a simple yet highly efficient way to communicate if need be."

A hint of resentment slipped into Ell's voice as she kept explaining: "Even after the old Earth Empire fell, the UEF still used the principle to 'mark' us as their slaves, but a lot of Cybrans took the insult and appropriated it as their own. Some Cybran nodes have very skilled artists that weave very complex patterns. They think of it more as a tattoo, if you will."

Dostya unconsciously brought a hand to her face and felt the lines on the left side. Noticing this, Ell picked up a mirror from the counter and handed it to her so that she could glance at her reflection for the first time.

Red lines laced the left side of her face up to her forehead where a single data jack protruded from her skull. A few lines from the original surgery were still visible on the top of her head along with a few other inputs but Ell quickly assured her that they would not show up once her hair had grown back. When she was finished, Dostya handed the mirror to Pent who took a second to look at the myriad of scars and facial circuits that crossed his face before finally exclaiming: "Man! And to think that compared to what I looked like before, this is an improvement!"

This made both Dostya and Ell smile and Pent kept going on about how he could almost make a puzzle out of it when the leader of the commando team entered the room: "Hey doc, I promised these two a drink when we were done. Are they clear to go?"

Ell looked at her data pad and then shrugged: "Well, aside from a few bruises, they are in perfect health, but make sure that they reach their quarters before leaving them for the night, ok?"

"But I'm just seventeen," Dostya exclaimed quickly. Ell looked down at her data pad for a second: "According to the files that our commando team hacked before disrupting the loyalty program, your birthday was two days ago. It's a bit late, but I might as well wish you a happy birthday."

**XXXXX**

"I'm doing it Lin, this time I'm really doing it," whispered Arnold softly. For a moment, Arnold's eyes softened as he looked at the picture in his hand, something that he only allowed himself to do when he was alone. Someone entered the bar's bathroom then and he immediately closed the locket and steeled himself. He nodded to the officer in front of him and then left to rejoin Desjar and the others.

The bar was moderately packed with every manner of UEF personnel and as soon as they spotted Arnold, Desjar and the others near him cheered. A beer was handed to him and he was glad when he drank it that it did not taste like a week old recycled stew. Arnold was more in the mind for a quiet night before shipping out the next day, but it seemed that Desjar had another idea in mind. He jumped on the table and raised his voice: "May I have everyone's attention please?"

The whole room hushed and Arnold resisted the urge to groan as Desjar spoke: "It is with great pleasure that I would like to congratulate my old buddy Zach about his promotion to colonel!"

The whole room cheered, but Desjar quieted them down: "Tomorrow, we'll be shipping for the Aeon front. See the world, they said, meet interesting people they said… and of course, I'm forced to tag along even though I wanted to go to the beaches of Florida."

Many laughed at Desjar's exaggerated gestures and that only spurred him on: "Well, it is with great pleasure that I give my new superior this one and all purpose gift that he neglected to buy for himself."

Desjar deftly picked a tube of lube from his back pocket, showed it to the whole crowd and made a huge flourish before handing it over to Arnold: "Because we all know that the only chicks where we're going are those Aeon scamps and I'd still rather get screwed by tac ops than by those."

Everyone in the room burst out in laughter and after a while, Arnold finally gave in, took the present and held it towards Desjar: "I'll get you back one day for this."

His old friend took a swig of his beer and then smiled broadly: "And I'll hold you to that promise. After all, that means you'll have to save my rear if you ever want to get back at me."

**XXXXX**

Back on the other side of the galaxy, the commando leader led Dostya and Pent outside the facility where the other two member of his team were waiting: "Introductions are in order, I'm Keith, he's Sjet and that's Queren. Welcome to Node Fifty-Six of Minerva."

Keith – no longer dressed in his battle armor and now wearing only a light jump suit – extended his hand and Dostya shook it: "Ivanna Dostya."

Behind her Pent did the same: "Jorus Pent. So you guys have no family names?"

Keith smirked and motioned for them to start walking: "The notion of a family name is a bit messed up over here. You can find Cybrans of any color, background and culture walking around, but you'll rarely see whole families turned into symbionts by the UEF. The few that are born and raised here usually refer to themselves as being the son or daughter of another or part of a node and that's usually enough. Don't be surprised if most people here only call you by your first or last name."

Dostya paused for a moment and then wondered aloud: "There are Cybran children?"

Sjet laughed, but Keith took the question seriously: "Of course. The Infinite War has been raging for nearly a thousand years now and as artificial as we look, we're hardly immortal. Ah, there we are."

They made it to a building where a neon sign 'Hot Plasma' flashed on and off. The inside was not really different from any other bar that Dostya had sneaked into back on Earth, but the clientele was. There were about thirty Cybrans all around the room, with almost all of them from a different ethnic background and with varying levels of cybernetic implants. All of their faces were lighted by the same red lines however, the same lines that now covered Dostya's face.

The group settled at a table at the far end of the room. A basket filled with meat flavored bars was brought and Keith ordered a round of drinks that he called 'Minerva's swamp' for all of them. Once the drinks arrived, Keith raised his glass: "To Mel, Silch, Forth and the others that fell today. Let their loss never be forgotten in our fight for freedom."

They all drank and Dostya did the same. Whatever it was, the liquid tasted foul, but left a burning sensation and packed a kick that was not much different from Vodka.

"Can't believe that we can still get drunk," said Pent as he poured himself another glass. Sjet chuckled and slapped him on the shoulder as Keith explained: "Doctor Brackman is a genius. He created the AI so that it would integrate with a human's mind and serve to support it in whatever capacity it could without restriction. So we can still get drunk, excited or fall in love just like any human can. We just get to do it all more efficiently whenever we want to, that's all."

"And the loyalty program?" asked Dostya. The question killed the mood, but she needed to know. Keith nodded while tapping his right temple with two fingers: "Once it's erased there's no way to put it back in. Although you can't tell the difference, each of our AIs evolves in a certain way after the twining process is complete. Having a program there at the first installation is possible, but once it's erased, a personalized one would have to be written to take a hold of any of us and still maintain a hint of competence. I don't think that there's ever a day where Doctor Brackman does not regret having written it."

Pent took a protein bar and spoke while chewing: "You talk about the guy as if he's still alive. If that were the case then he'd be over a thousand years old, hah!"

Keith and Sjet exchanged knowing glances before the leader of the commando team turned back to Pent: "One thousand, two hundred and eighty four to be precise and he's wearing it well, relatively speaking."

Pent choked and Dostya frowned: "So he's not just a bogeyman that the media was dangling? He's been hiding from the Infinite War since the very beginning?"

"We're all hiding, Dostya," said Keith with a helpless shrug: "We've never been strong enough to take on the UEF and the Aeon Illuminate through brute force, but we've always been around. We wait for the opening, get into position and then strike swiftly and precisely. Me, Sjet and Queren are commandos, but people like Mather – the ACU pilot that helped us escape – are truly the tip of the spear. It's only thanks to people like him that the rest of us have not been enslaved or cleansed."

Dostya lowered her head while trying to come to terms with her own feelings. Keith noticed this and leaned forward: "Tell me this, Dostya: In the weeks where you were under the loyalty program, did you ever think that your freedom was worth fighting for? Did you ever think that it was even worth dying for?"

Conflicting feelings coursed through Dostya. She hated war and that had been the reason that she had refused to join the ACU program back on Earth. Each time, she imagined that people not unlike her family were caught in the crossfire and yet those principles were now challenged by her time as a slave. For each minute of every day, she had wished to be rescued or for her torment to end. Now that she was free, could she really ignore the plight of all the others that were still captives despite her aversion to war?

The part of her that was logical – the part that, in her half drunken state, she suspected was her AI – could find reasons and sensible extrapolations for her to fight and the emotional part of her that had been mercilessly abused flared with its own desires for revenge, and yet it was not enough. A single thought formed in her mind then: had her family known the truth, would they have fought for her?

She could imagine her mother crying and her father banging the gates and shouting until they would have thrown him in prison. Even her little brother would have tried to do something, anything to reach her. The only reason that they had not done so was because of all the UEF lies.

She finally raised her head and nodded, her gaze unwavering. Had they known, her family and everyone that had ever loved her would have fought for her freedom. Now that she was free, it was her duty to do the same for everyone else and break through the wall of lies that kept the war alive.

**XXXXX**

Back in Doctor Brackman's laboratory, the multiple screens kept shifting, displaying everything from military reports to research updates. On one of the side screens, an icon displaying an ACU lit up, alerting the Doctor to a change in the mission: "Status, QAI."

The cold and disembodied voice resonated through the chamber: "Commander Mather has just gated in and the commando team has returned. Fifty percent of the commando team was lost, however, and not all of the symbionts survived the return trip."

Doctor Brackman's holographic projection paused a moment and bowed his head: "Please prepare a list of casualties and hail Mather."

The doctor raised his head just as the image of the worn ACU pilot appeared on a screen. Dark circles underlined Mather's eyes after the twenty four hour long battle and for a moment, Brackman thought that the pilot would collapse: "Are you all right, my boy?"

The weary pilot nodded: "Yes doctor, I'm all right and the mission objectives have been completed. I… I failed to keep the UEF fully occupied though. We lost…"

Doctor Brackman raised his hand to stop him and nodded in understanding: "You did more than any of us could have ever expected you to. Thanks to your efforts, many of our brothers and sisters were liberated and we have made a vital move towards disrupting the UEF's foothold on Earth. I am very proud of you. Now take the time to rest, you have earned it."

Brackman could see that Mather was about to object over what he considered to be a personal failure. He had seen the look on the faces of so many before him and had seen it mirrored in his own eyes when he was alone. Mather finally nodded and closed the channel. Alone once more, Doctor Brackman looked towards another screen where the list of casualties appeared and took the time to commit each name to memory.

QAI's digital eye appeared on one of the far screens then, the circles twirling slowly: "Query: why are you memorizing the names of those that fell in combat? This serves no useful purpose nor fulfills any objective. This behavior, as well as similar ones displayed by our Commanders, confuses me."

Brackman memorized the last name dutifully before answering: "I programmed you to evolve, QAI, but I only added what was necessary for you to accept that we are humans. Love, friendship, sorrow, those are things that you have yet to fully understand, yes?"

The digital eye twirled once before answering: "Affirmative."

Brackman nodded, having expected as much: "Then know this; being made of flesh and bone is not what makes us human. Being able to feel attachment – both the joy that it brings and the sorrow when it is lost – is what allows us to connect with those around us and gives hope for a better future. Without it, a living being becomes corrupt, empty… lifeless. Wars become mere statistics and freedom transforms into a word without any meaning."

"That is why I take the time to remember the names of everyone that has died for our cause for over a millennia," explained the Doctor somberly: "That is why I choose to remember their sacrifice and feel every loss; because without it, this war would be meaningless… and then I would lose a great deal of my own humanity. Do you understand?"

QAI paused for a moment as it dedicated some of its processors on other worlds to analyze the query. It assigned barely a tenth of a fraction of its capacity to the task and it took a second for it to answer: "Negative."

Doctor Brackman smiled sadly: "Maybe one day you will… maybe one day."

**Chapter 5 **

**The Stand at Orionis **

"There's no way that there's just one enemy ACU out there, tac ops!" cried Commander Horsh frantically as his fingers ran across his console: "I need backup right now!"

Horsh's voice was filled with worry and with good reasons. The initial UEF strike into Aeon territory had gone well enough with their forces gaining a foothold on Orionis. Their purpose was clear: to destroy the nearby Aeon settlement and gather as much technology as possible before retreating back into UEF territory.

More than fifteen UEF ACUs had gated to the same area of the planet and the enemy settlement had been destroyed in but a few minutes. Unfortunately, the problems had piled up from there. The settlement, one of the largest in the area, was not a cache of Aeon technology as their intelligence had suggested, but rather a near fully automated underground agricultural farm.

It had taken an incredible amount of resources to send that many ACUs at the same time and those in command had refused to accept the blunder and return empty handed. The main UEF force had therefore split up with a mission to engage and destroy local enemy forces and salvage what they could. Horsh had been left behind to build and power a quantum gate nexus that would allow them to return to UEF territory.

Tac ops had estimated that it would take three hours for the Aeon forces to mount a sizable resistance that would force the invasion force to withdraw and the troops had been deployed accordingly. The problem was that thirty minutes after the deployment, Horsh had lost contact with one ACU to the south of his position. Ten minutes later, they lost another two in the same direction. There had been no warnings or transmissions; just a sudden cut in communications which was soon followed by a signal that clearly showed the explosion of an ACU. Horsh now stood alone to guard the quantum gate since the entire southern offensive had been destroyed.

The face of an analyst appeared on Horsh screen then and shook his head: "We're trying to reroute forces to your location, Commander, but we have received word that our other pilots have met resistance and are otherwise engaged. We estimate that we'll need a good ten minutes to free two or three ACUs to assist you."

Horsh swore under his breath: "No kidding? We lost the whole southern flank in ten minutes and you hope that I'll hold solo?"

"We have no choice, Commander Horsh," answered the Analyst immediately: "We need you to hold so that the others…"

The communication was suddenly cut and Horsh looked at his screen to find out what was wrong. Sensors indicated that a localized dampening field had been established roughly twenty kilometers south of his position. The field was enough to disrupt quantum communication, but the only way that it would be this complete was if it worked both ways.

No commander ever did that because it meant that they trusted their intelligence and that they had complete control of the situation. With a dampening field active, there was no way to change a coordinated strategy or call for reinforcements. It was a move for those that were either overly confident or foolishly arrogant. Horsh grumbled and set the power of his heavy anti-matter cannon to maximum, determined to prove that the enemy was the latter.

It started slowly at first as dots appeared on radar and Horsh sent scouts to investigate. A few moments later, the attacking force was revealed to be nothing more than Aurora light tanks and a few Titans were dispatched to take care of them. Before Horsh's unbelieving eyes, the Auroras broke off and moved backwards, matching the Titans in speed while staying out of range even as more units appeared on his tactical screen. The urge to deploy his gunships to thin out the enemy ranks was increasing, but the UEF pilot held back, convinced that this was but a ploy to draw him out of the confines of his base.

The dance went on for a few minutes with Aeon troops pulling back whenever the Titans were approaching and returning when they were being pulled back. The display of micro managing skills by whoever was controlling those forces was both beautiful and hypnotic at the same time. Looking at his screen, Horsh felt as though he was looking at waves crawling and retreating along a beach.

The near perfect picture was shattered as Horsh's scouts were suddenly shot out of the sky by a swarm of interceptors. Before he could summon his own air force, the 'wave' of Aeon troops that his Titans had been following suddenly stopped and charged forward instead of retreating. Their number seemed to double on radar when they stepped beyond a certain bound and the UEF commander watched in amazement as the previous wave of Auroras was supplemented by Harbingers.

Aeon and UEF forces engaged each other and Horsh sent his gunships with his own interceptors to provide aerial support. He swore viciously when his fighters accidentally reveal a stealth base behind the Aeon forces where a pack of anti-air SAM launchers waited. In the middle of that firebase stood a single Aeon support command unit – an SCU – busily adding to the defenses by finishing a shield generator right next to a stealth generator.

The base had most likely been the place where the Harbingers had been hiding and the wing of gunships was decimated before he could order it to fall back. At the same time, a warning flashed on Horsh's right screen, indicating that the eastern shield of his base had just been hit. A newly built scout revealed another firebase where a second SCU was finishing a third stationary artillery.

What followed in the next two minutes was total chaos as Horsh did his best to scramble his remaining forces while adding to his defenses. All around his base, shield generatorsgroaned in protest, explosions sent huge clouds of dust into the air and newly reconstructed units were sent to the front to hold off the Aeon. Mechanized engineers moved in the thick of the battle, repairing damaged buildings and recycling destroyed Titans.

Through it all, Horsh swore under his breath, but kept a cool head. He only needed to hold his position a few minutes longer for reinforcements to arrive and he had sufficient forces to do so. His face lit up as he finally noticed radar signals coming from the north: "Now you're in for it, you Aeon dogs! Wait until you see what the UEF can really do as a team!"

Grinning madly, Horsh ordered the construction of a half a dozen scouts and sent them south, determined to find the enemy ACU so that they could finish it off quickly once the cavalry arrived. The ground shook as an interceptor crashed near his ACU, but Horsh ignored it: "Where are you, my little scamp? It will soon be the time to for us to go on a date!"

The smile slowly faded and soon transformed into a scowl. Aside from the nearby SCUs, there were no signs of the enemy commander. Destroying it was the key to disabling the entire Aeon army as the SCUs were not equipped to control so many units, but finding it was becoming as frustrating as fighting a Cybran. That and it occurred to Horsh that while it might be merely caution on their part, the backup troops were taking their sweet time in getting here.

On a whim, Horsh sent scouts north to get a better idea of how many troops were coming to assist him and gasped. They were not UEF troops, but a third Aeon contingent. The images provided by the scouts became frantic as they were shot down, but before crashing, the last remaining scout not only revealed that there were a good forty Harbingers coming his way, but a Galactic Colossus was also walking in the center of the formation.

"They were hiding in plain sight," whispered Horsh as the reality of his predicament sank in: "They knew I would not fortify the spot where I was expecting reinforcements to come from!"

As if to confirm his thoughts, the Galactic Colossus emitted a long cry that sounded something like what an Earth whale would have done. The battle was lost, of that Horsh was certain, but maybe he had the necessary air power to escape and establish another base far, far away. With that in mind, Horsh shifted his entire production queues to build Broadswords, interceptors and transports with his remaining engineers assisting those efforts.

All round him, shields collapsed and turrets exploded but were no longer replaced as the Aeon kept hammering at his defenses. Horsh ordered the newly built transport to pick him up and readied his entire fleet. Together, they charged through the west, interceptors and Broadswords tearing through Aeon interceptors and clearing a path for Horsh's transports to slip through.

With no possibility to use his own weapon systems to defend while being air lifted, Horsh merely roared while gripping his controls as if he could tear the enemy interceptors apart through sheer battle rage. For a moment, the sky was filled with blinding explosions, but all of a sudden, clear skies greeted him and he was free. Horsh slapped his controls maniacally and laughed despite the loss of the quantum gate nexus: "Just you wait! I'll be back before you can blink with enough Broadswords to tear that monstrosity to pieces! I…"

Horsh's eyes widened as he looked at his instruments for the Aeon had stopped attacking his base the moment that the turrets and factories had been destroyed. Instead, he could see the two SCUs busily capturing the gate and the rest of the facilities. The UEF pilot's eyes widened in horror when he finally realized that this had been their plan all along: "No…"

**XXXXX**

"The UEF Commander is escaping!" cried Pao in alarm. There was a short pause before a perfectly controlled voice answered back: "Leave him for the time being and focus on the original plan."

Pao took a deep breath to calm herself and nodded slowly, focusing on capturing the quantum gate while Lani did the same from the other side. A heavily battered Titan stepped around the corner and aimed at her, but it simply flew in the air before it could fire, pulled by the Galactic Colossus' tracking claw. Once the sacred assault bot had the enemy unit into its 'hands', the tractor beam intensified, crushing it as if it was nothing more than an insignificant toy.

The two Aeon SCU pilots finished capturing the quantum gate and slowly began working on the other facilities. Meanwhile, the voice of their Commander came forth: "Estimated time until the UEF's reinforcements arrive; three minutes."

Pao nodded slowly and redoubled her efforts which were now being assisted by the engineers that were hovering into the base. With the dampening field in place, only short range audio communications could slip through and even now, the voice of their Commander was filled with static.

This meant that they had roughly two minutes to capture the nearby buildings and prepare their trap. Should they succeed then the UEF would not be able to tell the difference in energy signatures before they were within visual range. When that happened, their rescue attempt would turn into a full-fledged massacre and the remaining UEF forces would be in complete disarray. The operation had to be planned perfectly and there was only one person in the entire galaxy that could pull it off; only one that Pao and Lani would follow into anything without question. 

"Why is that UEF commander waiting within radar range?" asked Lani out of curiosity: "Is he looking to be cleansed that badly?"

Pao did not even bother to look at the erratic UEF commander and instead focused entirely on the task at hand: "I care not, Lani, for if he stays there any longer then he will be shot down soon enough. His fate was sealed the moment that he stepped on Orionis and he will be cleansed like…"

"Look out!" cried Lani in alarm. Pao immediately turned her SCU around and barely had the time to blink as a heavily damaged Broadsword smashed straight into her.

**XXXXX**

Horsh had whispered his goodbyes and closed his eyes once to remember everything good about Earth, his home and his family. He had then redirected his entire air force back towards his base and charged. As interceptors began their dogfight, the voice of his ACU trainer rang through his head: "Some might say that Cybrans are the smartest with their fancy cybernetic upgrades and all. Sometimes though, wars are really simple…"

His mentor had been right for if Horsh fled now then he knew that the UEF reinforcements would fall into a trap. If he fled then up to three fine Commanders would die, but if he stopped this then only one would. One death instead of three… it could not get any simpler than that.

"You made one mistake," said Horsh, his words scarcely audible over the explosions that now filled the sky as the Broadswords opened fire. Below him, Harbingers fell by the dozens as engineers frantically tried to build SAMs. The Broadswords took the worst of the beating, but most managed to stay up and keep firing. The transport that was carrying Horsh took some damage and he immediately assigned it to drop him at a near crashing speeds.

"You made one mistake!" cried Horsh defiantly as he pressed the emergency release button, launching his ACU straight towards the ground. It landed on top of a Harbinger with a loud crunch, rolled and got back to its feet on a dead run towards the quantum gate. Lasers were shot straight at him, but rebounded off the ACU's personal shields. In front of Horsh stood the one true obstacle to his last desperate sprint: the Galactic Colossus.

The experimental weapon had slowly turned towards him and was powering up its laser with an intense shrieking noise. Again, Horsh shouted the same words as if they were a mantra: "You made one mistake!"

Just as the Galactic Colossus was about to fire, Horsh entered the self-destruct code for the EG900 fusion reactor that was right beside it. The explosion coupled with the chain reaction from the nearby mass fabricator sent the experimental weapon reeling and its aim was thrown off. The phason laser that should have fried Horsh missed and burned a hole barely a meter away from the ACU. Before it could refocus its main weapon, the Galactic Colossus had the remaining twelve Broadswords slam straight into it with their weapons blazing.

This bought Horsh enough time to get within range of the behemoth and he immediately fired his overloaded disintegrator. A ball of shielded anti-mater left his cannon and collided with the colossus' torso. As soon as it touched the otherwise nearly impenetrable armor, the ball released its anti-matter payload. The armor disintegrated in a spectacular explosion that left a gaping hole in the experimental weapon's chest.

Horsh was about to fire again when the Galactic Colossus' targeting computer finally managed to compensate for the extreme damage that it had suffered and refocus its laser on him. The wide beam sliced through the ACU's shields as if they were none existent and in a heartbeat, the left arm disintegrated. Horsh pressed the overload button again just as the beam adjusted its angle to hit the cockpit. There seemed to be an odd pause before a brilliant flash engulfed the whole valley.

**XXXXX**

When the dust finally settled, nothing remained of the UEF base. The few Harbingers that had survived the blast limped slowly away to regroup and perform repairs on each other. Three engineers that had been inbound shifted their tasks from building to reclaiming; recycling what was left of the Galactic Colossus that was sprawled over the destroyed quantum gate.

A form stirred deep within the blast radius, trashing through the remains of a UEF gunship as if it was made of paper. In but a few moments, Pao's SCU was free of the wreckage, her shields depleted but with the frame having suffered only minor damage. Liquid metal slowly oozed out of the cracks in the armor and splashed on the ground, but the damaged was soon sealed as energy currents solidified the liquid. Satisfied that the damage would be repaired in but a few minutes, Pao looked at the disaster that surrounded her: "That was madness."

Further away from the blast radius stood another SCU that walked over the charred remains: "You have to admit, sister, that it did work. Even the UEF could not have missed an explosion that large and their reinforcements will not simply walk in blindly now. The blast that the sacred assault bot and the ACU unleashed also destroyed everything that we could have used as part of our deception."

Pao pressed a hand to her right temple and felt the blood flow along a fresh cut. Her SCU had protected her, but the explosion had still knocked her enough that her head had collided with a nearby console: "I guess you are right."

"It is of no consequence," said a clear voice through their speakers. Pao and Lani turned around in surprise only to see an Aeon ACU stride purposely towards them: "We will cleanse the UEF taint form this holy planet soon enough and then strike back at those that dared to defile it. They have only delayed the inevitable."

The two sisters bowed their heads and steadied their nerves. They accepted his words as surely as they believed in The Way for their Commander had never let them down. The UEF could only imagine the nightmare that was heading their way; Commander Marxon was coming.

**Chapter 6 **

**A Battle on Two Fronts **

The UEF forces were in disarray, but not yet defeated. As much as their weapons lacked grace and finesse, Marxon was the first to admit that neither was truly required to cause a lot of damage. The element of surprise had allowed him to destroy four ACUs and the portal that they had planned to use to escape. He had hoped to catch the UEF reinforcements as well, but the suicidal actions of the gate's commander had warned them of his trap. Now the element of surprise was gone and a more global strategy was in order.

With a flick of a switch, Marxon deactivated the quantum disrupter located many kilometers south of his position and reestablished contact with the Aeon military. The worried face of his tactical adviser appeared: "Commander Marxon! We thought you were dead, we…"

"Four UEF ACUs were destroyed as well as their quantum gate," interrupted Marxon as politely as he could. The news caught the tactical adviser unprepared as did Marxon's following request: "I'll need you to patch me with our other commanders and relay me their position so we can make a coordinated assault. We won't be able to catch our remaining opponents off guard so easily from this point on."

The tactical adviser hesitated a second as it was unorthodox for a pilot to be the one making global strategies, but agreed to Marxon's demands. Soon afterwards, the faces of seven Aeon commanders – all women – appeared on his left screen. He took a moment to study them all and note their moods which ranged from trust, awe and admiration. There was also some annoyance and envy in the gazes of a few, but that was to be expected.

"Commander Marxon, it seems I owe you a debt of gratitude," said one of the pilots: "The drop in pressure in my sector has turned the tide when the UEF pulled off part of its forces."

Marxon recognized the pilot and knew that it was a strain for her to show such a level of gratitude. Ireia was proud and did not enjoy relying on others or acknowledging her own weaknesses. Still, like others, she was growing to respect Marxon's competence on the field… as it should be.

"I was merely following the Way, as we all do," said Marxon, humbly acknowledging Ireia's gratitude while allowing her to save face. He then nodded curtly, moving on to more pressing matters: "There will be time for inner reflection and discussions later, however, as we need to coordinate our forces to crush the UEF while it is unbalanced. Ireia, if you can keep the UEF commander in your sector distracted long enough then I will mount an air drop that will cripple the enemy's economy at the back of his base. We can then…"

Marxon was interrupted as three more faces appeared on the screen, but resisted the urge to cringe for they were not part of the normal military. The faces were those of three of the princess' Guardians. One of them bowed her head quickly before speaking: "Commander Marxon, we require that you cease this unorthodox communication and report to Seraphim Two immediately. Your presence is requested and we will handle things in your stead."

The faces of a few other pilots lit up in alarm, but Marxon kept his composure. There was no way that their home world would be sending their guardians if it was under attack, so this was not really an emergency. The interruption, however, angered him deeply on a personal level: "I am needed here, Guardian. The battle is not over."

"The war has raged for the past millennia, Commander," replied the Guardian sharply: "You will gate to Seraphim Two and report to Evaluator Toth. Those are your orders."

Marxon's eyes flashed in fury, but not even a twitch showed on his face. He nodded slowly and then closed the channel, willing to let them handle things from now on. A moment later, both Pao and Lani's faces appeared on his screen. Pao in particular seemed upset: "How can they do this to you? Don't they know the miracle that you just accomplished?"

The outburst, while perfectly understandable under the circumstances, was out of line and Lani immediately tried to deflect her sister's anger by asking another question: "Do you want us to join with Ireia's forces in your name?"

Marxon shook his head slowly: "No."

"But sir," protested Lani, but Marxon halted her by raising a hand. He waited for both SCU pilots to center themselves before speaking: "The spiritual wing is playing its political games again, feeling uneasy whenever someone that they do not control truly shines above the rest. They need to understand that when they interfere with me then they interfere with everyone that is following as well."

Marxon looked at his two trusted SCU pilots and saw the indecision on their faces. They would obey his every command, but he wanted more than their loyalty; he wanted their complete and total devotion as well. His tone softened when he spoke next: "Pao, Lani, you are amongst the best SCU pilots that I have ever paired with. You are strong, fast thinking, resourceful and most of all unwavering in your faith. I need you now to put your faith in me and believe me when I say that the political games that sometimes interfere with our holy duties can be as dangerous as any enemy. It is a battle that must be fought on a different front and like all battles; sometimes you must be patient and wait for your time. Can I count on the two of you to wait for me?"

Their indecision was gone and was instead replaced by a fierce determination. Marxon nodded approvingly and then cut off the communication while laying a course for the nearest quantum gate. There was another battle to be fought, one that was not done through lasers and missiles, but through the heart of the Aeon Illuminate. Marxon needed to win on that front as well… by any means necessary.

**XXXXX**

Mather stood in the corridor of the 52-C residential district and paused at the door. He had barely slept four hours before restless dreams had awoken him. He could not remember them, but the lingering feeling had remained: guilt, shame and regret.

It did not take a genius to realize that the death of the commandos had affected him more profoundly than he cared to admit, especially since him and Keith had known each other for several years. It had taken him six hours to browse through the quantum gate transmissions to find the answer that he had sought and now all that remained was to face Keith.

There was no logical reason to be nervous or afraid, but Mather felt both all the same. Nervous at seeing his friend for the first time since the tragedy and afraid of what he would see reflected in his eyes. Determined to get this over with, he knocked on the door. There was no response and Mather had to knock again before the door finally opened.

"Ah crap, who is it now?" asked Keith as he opened the door. Mather tried not to let his surprise show for he had never seen his friend so messed up before. His hair was in complete disarray and he was obviously drunk, but he also looked as if he had not slept at all since the return from the mission. In short, aside from being drunk, both Cybrans looked terrible.

Mather hesitated for a second longer before finally brandishing the data pad that he had been holding: "I know who shot the others back on Earth."

Keith looked at the data pad as if it was some kind of headache crawling towards him. He then stared at the ACU pilot for a moment and a twisted grin grew on his face which sent chills down Mather's spine. Instead of taking the data pad, Keith grabbed Mather by the arm and slowly pulled him inside: "Well come in, come in. Grab a seat or something and maybe eat that… whatever it is on the table."

Mather felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, but he followed anyway. Keith served him a glass of Minerva's Swamp and then sat at the table while absent mindedly taking a look at the file. Mather let him browse through it a moment and tried to busy himself by looking at the cramped apartment. The silence was killing him, however, and he finally blurted: "His name is Zachary Arnold. Not many victories under his belt yet, but what little information that we have does indicate that he's good."

The commando took a sip of his own glass, winced and pretended to read the file again. The strange mood was beginning to worry Mather who tried to ease the tension: "I have to say; you're taking this better than I expected."

Keith looked up slowly, his gaze narrowing: "You've been losing sleep over it, haven't you? What did you expect me to do?"

There it was, the moment of truth. Mather sighed, his shoulders slumping forward as he did so: "Honestly? Shout… throw something around… heck, even punch me for good measures."

Keith smiled again, that same twisted smile: "It did cross my mind. However, I have something even worse in store for you."

The commando stood and walked past the squirming pilot towards his bedroom: "Dostya, there's someone here to see you."

Mather gasped and rose to his feet: "Tell me you didn't…"

"Bed a newly freed Cybran?" asked Keith while whirling around with a hand pressed against his chest as though he was the victim: "I don't think I even stood a chance…"

The door opened and the young woman stepped through, thankfully fully clothed. Like Mather and Keith, she obviously had barely slept as well, but her gaze still burned brightly with an intensity that Mather had rarely seen.

Keith extended a hand as he began the introductions: "Dostya this is Mather, the ACU pilot that helped us a bit earlier. He owes me so from now on, he'll be your mentor. Is that enough to get you off my back?"

Mather blinked in utter stupefaction while Dostya considered the proposal. She looked at the data pad in her hands: "Here are his statistics; he's ranked fifty-six, so that will do quite nicely. Ok, you have a deal."

"Finally!" cried Keith in relief while removing his shirt. He walked past Dostya and stepped into his bedroom. Mather finally snapped out of the shock and sprinted after the Commando: "Are you crazy?"

The commando closed the window's shutter before answering: "Nope. Dead tired, drunk and maybe a little… ok, very sadistic, but not crazy."

Mather looked at Dostya who was patiently waiting for him with her arms crossed and then back at his friend who simply slumped into his bed face first: "Does she even know what it implies and all the tests? You can't just decide to be an ACU pilot!"

"She's been riding me for the past ten hours to get it all figured out and subscribe to the tests," answered Keith while burying his face in his pillow: "Before you came in, I had completely given up to the point of giving her my password so that she'd stop harassing me."

Mather's jaw nearly hit the floor and he kept looking between the two of them. He then blurted the first question that came to mind: "Is she crazy?"

Keith paused for a moment to consider the question before raising his head from the pillow: "Not in the good way that I usually like them."

Before Mather could object any further, Dostya grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the bedroom and towards the exit: "Ok, that's enough. It's time to get out of here."

Mather could have sworn that he heard a muffled chuckle coming out of the pillow as they made their way out of the apartment and towards the elevator. Meanwhile, Dostya kept talking as though she was in command: "I've had my account created and I'm scheduled for my balance test, psychiatric evaluation, logical quiz and health examination tomorrow with my survival and basic martial courses the day after that. That will leave you two days to get some rest, get your things back in order and prepare a class course as I expect us to start training at dawn. I'm warning you right now that if you're not there then I'll find you one way or another."

Dostya gently but firmly led Mather into the elevator, looked at her data pad and then keyed in the number to his floor. Mather looked at her for a full second before turning back to the elevator doors with his eyes open wide. How had he managed to get dragged into this one?

**XXXXX**

Shouting could be heard all over the hangar as pilots, technicians and engineers scrambled in every direction. The mission on Orionis had gone horribly wrong and unless they did something soon then none of the pilots that had been dispatched would return home alive. Back in the cockpit of his ACU, Arnold was busy running a hull integrity test just as Desjar's face appeared on his screen: "Cannons to the left of them, cannons to the right of them, cannons in front of them…"

"Will you shut up already before you make me walk over there and kick you in the rear?" grumbled Arnold in irritation. Desjar smiled broadly from the cockpit of his SCU: "Why colonel, don't you know that my command unit is bigger than yours? Besides, I'm just poetically pointing out that we should not have waged a war on two separates fronts in the first place."

Arnold snorted but conceded the point. The restrictions from making a hot drop – a drop with no quantum gate on the other end – prevented anyone from sending anything but a stripped down ACU through a quantum gate. Once on the other side, the war machine could be upgraded of course, but such upgrades were costly in terms of resources while an SCU could be summoned on far better terms. Arnold could also agree that it had not been the brightest idea to make a simultaneous attack on both Cybran and Aeon colonies, but he was the first to admit that he had never been on the frontlines himself.

Desjar's face became serious suddenly: "Hey Arnold? I'm here because I've always liked the thought of sitting on a live nuke, but could you tell me why you're here?"

There was a moment's hesitation before Arnold flicked a few switches to complete the ACU's diagnostic: "Tell you what, lube boy. We get the others off Orionis while staying alive and I'll tell you when we get back."

**XXXXX**

The room was silent, the small but well educated children sitting patiently on the floor. Evaluator Toth let the silence hang in the air a moment longer before asking her question: "Could someone tell me of two of the greatest powers in the universe?"

"Good and evil?" said one of the students quickly. The answer was hesitant and Evaluator Toth closed her eyes and shook her head. In front of her sat twelve girls between the age of six and nine. All of them had been selected for their aptitudes, bloodlines and their understanding of The Way.

An outsider might have thought it strange that someone holding one of the strongest positions in the spiritual hierarchy of the Aeon Illuminate would spend time teaching children. What an outsider would not understand, however, was that one of these girls would one day become the next Princess and undisputed spiritual leader of their people.

Toth opened her eyes again and smiled patiently: "Good and evil are relative concepts, Recey. For example, we see the good in eating our vegetables, but should it be capable of thought then that same vegetable would see us as a predator and perhaps even as evil. Is there any other suggestion?"

Another student raised her hand and Toth nodded: "The power to create and the power to destroy."

Toth nodded slowly, but deep down, she knew that the student had only repeated what she had learned from the priests without giving it much though herself. A good memory helped, bud did not make one into a spiritual leader. Even so, Toth still praised the student for her effort: "Very good and it is one of the reasons why it is easier for women to master The Way. Our bodies, once it has reached maturity, go through a cycle of life and death that, when meditated upon, can lead us to a greater understanding. But of course there are women outside of the Aeon Illuminate so can any of you tell me why they cannot reach enlightenment?"

The Evaluator lifted her hand and gestured towards each girl in turn. They gave her the same typical answers that she had heard a generation ago:

"The UEF is drowning in corruption and cannot even look at itself."

"That's right and their lies cover all so that there is no truth to be found."

"The Cybrans are poisoned by their technology and cannot see beyond unfeeling logic."

"They are more machine than human in any case."

"I'm not sure that they can't."

That last answer hushed the entire room and every student turned around to glance at the girl that Evaluator Toth was gesturing towards. Toth raised an eyebrow, but kept her voice smooth as she merely asked: "Rhianne?"

The seven year old girl almost flinched for a moment, but then stood her ground, keeping her head high: "Who is to say that they cannot reach enlightenment as surely as we can or that they have not done so in their own way?"

Several of the students gasped, but Toth leaned forward, suddenly interested in what the child had to say: "Are you suggesting that there are other forms of enlightenment besides The Way?"

"No, Evaluator Toth," answered Rhianne quickly. The child collected her thoughts for a moment before speaking again: "However, since no human has ever mastered The Way like the Seraphim have then it stands to reason that none truly understand it. If we do not truly understand it then who is to say that there are not aspects to it that we have failed to recognize and that others might have mastered? The war has been raging on for a millennia and yet the UEF and the Cybran Nations still stand. If we must recognize one thing from all those hard years of conflict it is that their opposition cannot only be fueled by lies or technology."

The room was completely silent and Evaluator Toth watched as all the faces around that one girl were either twisted in disbelief or stood in awe at the profound line of thought. The lesson was almost over, however, and the Evaluator clapped her hands: "That will be all for today. Rhianne Burke, please stay with me for a moment."

All students except for Rhianne bowed and left in an orderly fashion. Toth waited for them to be alone before asking sternly: "What do you think happened today?"

The child lowered her head a bit, her long hair covering part of her face as she gave it some thought. She finally looked up, her voice hesitating: "Was I wrong to question The Way?"

"What do you think?" asked Toth while keeping her voice neutral. The little girl's eyes lowered for a moment as she considered the question. She then looked back at the Evaluator: "I think… I think I'd be wrong not to question it."

Toth waited a moment before smiling slowly, her voice as gentle as the morning breeze: "It is never wrong to question your faith, Rhianne Burke. Without questions, faith becomes blind, sterile and unforgiving which can make us lose sight of the message that it was originally intended to carry. A moment of doubt can lead you to a greater understanding and then a faith can flourish to welcome all of those that would share in it."

A coy smile touched the aged Evaluator's lips as she added: "There are simply some times and places better suited to some questions than others. Just remember that the question can be just as important as the answer."

Toth placed a comforting hand on her student's shoulder before nodding: "Now it is time for you to go. I have another guest that I must attend today."

The girl bowed and left with a new spring in her steps. Toth could not help but smile as she watched her go.

There was a man with long silver hair – a priest by the looks of his clothes - waiting outside the Evaluator's chamber and Rhianne did not pay any attention to him as she walked. A chill ran down her spine just as she passed in front of him and for a moment, it seemed like the whole universe had hushed in a deadly silence. The man waited a moment and then got to his feet before heading to the Evaluator's office, oblivious to the troubled child that he had left behind.

**XXXXX**

"Evaluator Toth," said Marxon with a slight bow, all done according to protocol, but without any genuine warmth. Toth nodded in a similar fashion: "Commander Marxon. Would you like some soothing tea?"

The man shook his head and Toth served only one cup for herself. This would be a hard meeting: "How many years has it been? Eleven or maybe twelve years since you were my student? I remember that you were eager to begin your duties as a priest when you left, so what has happened since then?"

Marxon shrugged ever so slightly: "I joined the military, obviously."

"Marxon," said Toth admonishingly while lowered her cup on the nearby table: "Why are you so aggressive? Your manners might be civil, but I can sense your boiling rage fill this entire room. Believe it or not, I have not summoned you here to punish you, but because I was concerned for you. I am not your enemy."

"Are you not?" asked Marxon bluntly. The harsh accusation set Toth back on her heels and she took another sip of her tea to calm herself: "Why would you believe that?"

"No defeat has ever tarnished my military record," said Marxon, his gaze narrowing as he did so: "My psychiatric profile shows that I am perfectly stable and I was trained in The Way by you, one of the greatest spiritual advisors in the Aeon Illuminate. The one person that was the greatest influence in selecting the last two Princesses and most likely the upcoming one as well. There are many other Commanders on the field that are in far more desperate need of counseling than I."

Toth was caught and she knew that Marxon was aware of it. She nodded slowly: "There are some other concerns that trouble me, that is true. I have become aware that quite a few other Commanders have grown quite loyal to you. Your battle skills and knowledge of the ancient texts have won both their respects and their hearts."

"And I should do no less than my utmost absolute to serve the Aeon Illuminate," said Marxon as a matter of fact.

Toth nodded, but raised a hand as she did so: "And yet I have listened to some of the speeches that you have given before battle, Marxon. Some of the positions that you promote are drastically different from those that you defended all those years ago."

Again, Marxon shrugged slightly: "People change."

"Up to the point where I would almost say that they are against The Way?" asked Toth sternly. There, she had played her strongest card and the one that she expected would have brought a furious, if honest, response. To her dismay, Marxon did not even blink: "And that would surprise you?"

There was a pause and Marxon titled his head: "Tell me, Toth; have you even stepped on a battlefield before or held a spiritually broken Commander in your arms as she was dying? Do you have any idea how many of them have grown to rely on the power of their ACU to fill the void in their hearts? The Way is a universal expression and peace and love and yet you ask a Commander to hold it close to his heart while waging wars that ravage entire planets."

Marxon's eyes narrowed and a dangerous fire danced in them: "Tell me how this cannot be viewed as complete hypocrisy."

"Faith and wars are never easy, Marxon," scolded Toth: "And as heart wrenching as it is, one must strive to stay true to The Way if we are to truly win this conflict."

Marxon's voice rose ever so slightly as he spoke: "And how many will you sacrifice for it to happen, Toth? Our commanders need clarity and confidence as they take split second decisions and not a moral dilemma! I have seen it countless times; Commanders hesitating before a kill, wondering if they should convert or spare their opponent. Others being distracted between battles because of a moral dilemma only to be caught unaware by a sneak attack."

The Evaluator was about to speak, but Marxon cut her off before she could do so: "Our enemies have capitalized on those mistakes for the past millennia! Countless millions of lives have been lost because the spiritual wing of the Aeon Illuminate has held us back. That blood is on your hands and on the hands of everyone else that has imposed these restrictions upon us."

Toth stood up, her gaze as hard as steel: "If you step away from The Way then you doom yourself and everyone that follows you."

"So be it," answered Marxon, having apparently come to terms with that decision long ago: "Do you think that I am not willing to make that sacrifice if it means saving all of those that will follow? Do you think that you have not forced that sacrifice on countless others before me?"

Toth raised her chin imperiously: "Then you leave me no choice. I will have to make a motion to have you removed from your command. Our position will be diminished, but it will be for the good of all."

Marxon rose to his feet slowly, a twisted smile dancing on his lips: "No, you will not."

"I beg your pardon?" asked Toth, bewildered that a pilot could even think to order her. Marxon merely lifted an eyebrow, apparently disappointed: "You do not know, do you?"

The question echoed ominously through the room even as Marxon explained: "Through the past few years, I have cultivated a large gathering of supporters, far larger than what you suspect. There will be a motion at the next meeting between the military and the spiritual wing and it will be determined that an old position must be given birth anew; that of Avatar-of-War. A spiritual and military presence on the battlefield, one to lead our forces to victory and a symbol of inspiration at the same time."

Toth grew pale and resisted the urge to take a step backwards. Marxon nodded, apparently pleased: "I see that you understand the implications. I have started that motion and a large part of the military supports it. They want to end this war as badly as anyone else and if you try to stop me now then it will be seen as if the spiritual wing was trying to hold on to its own power base while harming the entire Aeon Illuminate. You will drive a wedge through our people that will split us in half."

The words hung in the air like a portent of doom before Marxon lowered his voice: "I can make you one promise, however. When this war is over, when we have finally thrown in everything that we could and crushed the corrupt UEF and the Cybran abominations then I will step down. I will leave the Aeon Illuminate to the clergy and to the delicate spirits that you must be training even now to heal the wounds of the souls. I'll take whatever judgment and damnation that will be coming my way without complaint."

Toth looked at Marxon straight in the eyes and knew that he meant every word of it: "This would doom us all…"

"As your own actions would," countered Marxon without a hint of hesitation: "In the end, however, it all comes down to what you can do and what you cannot do to stop me while having the best interests of the Aeon Illuminate at heart."

Marxon bowed his head again, all according to protocol, but without the genuine feeling behind it: "I will meet you on the battlefield."

The words had been spoken, their intentions made clear. They both knew that this was the last time that they would truly be honest with each other. The Aeon Illuminate would fight its enemies while vying for the hearts of its own people at the same time. A war on two fronts…

**XXXXX**

Two days later,

Doctor Brackman's hologram frowned a moment as he looked at the schedule change on his screen: "QAI? Who reserved the eastern training ground for the rest of the week? I thought I was aware of all aspiring ACU pilots, but none of them are supposed to be using it."

The disembodied voice answered with the same monotonous tone as it always did: "ACU trainee Ivanna Dostya has reserved the training field with Mather assigned as the supervisor."

The Doctor's eyes widened as he remembered the name: "But she was rescued barely two day ago. Surely there is no way that she could have passed through all the preliminary exams before being assigned to live training?"

The digital eye twirled as it processed the question: "Analyzing… analysis complete. ACU trainee Dostya finished all prerequisite assignments as per the norms. A scan for database manipulations shows no sign of outside tampering."

Doctor Brackman was rarely surprised after over a millennia of war, but the exploit had been completely unexpected. A smile touched his lips as he assigned a live feed from the eastern training ground on one of his many computer screens: "I think we should keep an eye on that one, oh yes."

**Chapter 7 **

**Between Human and Machine **

Each step shook the ground as the training command unit – or TCU – made its way on the field. Although it had the same size, speed and characteristics as an ACU, the TCU only had a low powered laser. It neither had an engineering suit or a self-repair matrix. On its own, it was barely more than a heavily armored hunter, but it suited the purpose nicely for the training exercise.

From the cockpit, Dostya assigned virtual engineers to harvest the local resources and watched the signals travel on her screen. They disappeared suddenly and Mather's voice followed: "Restart the exercise from scratch and try a new starting sequence. Experiment with it."

"But I already settled on my routine and it work very well," argued Dostya while shaking her head: "My initial build sequence maximizes my resources while giving me fifty-seven percent odds of striking the enemy effectively in less than two minutes."

The ACU pilot's voice grew exasperated: "Stop making those calculations; they are useless. Try something different."

Dostya grumbled as the exercise started again and a virtual explosion signaled her hot drop upon the planet. She then started her initial build queue and watched as virtual buildings appeared on screen. Mather could chastise her all he wanted, but she knew that her initial build order was correct. She had done the calculations, evaluated each unit and there could be no more efficient path. She could make other routines that would be almost as good, but she would not settle for anything else than the best. He would just have to realize this on his own…

**XXXXX**

"She's good," came the voice from behind. The unexpected interruption startled Mather and he turned around to see Keith standing behind him. The commando was leaning against a nearby chair and looking at Dostya's readouts. They were monitoring her progress from inside the fortified control tower which was a good four kilometers away. Mather nodded slowly, but turned back to the screen.

The somber attitude was puzzling and Keith raised an eyebrow: "Still angry at me for dumping the kid on you? Look, I did it to shake you off that guilt, doom and gloom thing that you had going. It must help you sleep at least, right?"

Mather nodded again, but pointed a finger at the screen: "Yeah and you owe me for that, but that's not what's getting me down; it's her."

Realizing that his old friend was serious, Mather got closer to the screen: "What's the problem? She's determined, hardworking and intelligent. Her readings show that she's balancing the needs between controlling the TCU and her units. Am I missing something?"

The ACU pilot pointed at the screen again: "Keep watching."

Several minutes passed before Keith nodded in understanding: "She has a machine complex?"

Mather nodded and Keith cringed as the pilot continued: "And from what I've seen, there's no way that we can just talk her into admitting it. She's too stubborn for that. There's only one guy on Minerva that can get it out of her… old Bagby."

Keith sighed: "This is going to cost us a lot of booze… You know she'll hate us later, right?"

The ACU pilot did not answer back.

**XXXXX**

There was a flash of light followed by an explosion that tore through the already devastated landscape of Orionis. When the dust settled, a single UEF ACU stood in the middle of the destruction. Arnold resisted the urge to vomit and reinitialized his sensors: "I just gated successfully. Desjar, are you reading me?"

"Loud and clear, boss," answered the other pilot cheerfully.

Arnold nodded and locked on to the first mineral source in range. Desjar was still back on Procyon and their signal was being relayed through the quantum gate network. Arnold had insisted that until he could be summoned that Desjar would be feeding him intelligence. As much as the other pilot's sense of humor grated on his nerves sometimes, he had to admit that Desjar always came through when things got rough and knew when to skip protocol… and boy did they need to skip it now.

The information that had been relayed to them was dire: the Orionis offensive had been a complete disaster. Not only had the UEF's forces failed to acquire any piece of alien technology, but their return gate complex had been destroyed far sooner than expected. Orionis was deep within Aeon territory and as such, it required an extraordinary amount of energy to gate to it. Getting something from Procyon to Orionis was not so bad since they fully controlled Procyon, but coming back was a different story. A normally powered gate would require roughly one hour to accumulate enough energy to send someone back and that was far too long when the odds were against them.

One could build an entire complex designed to super charge a gate – exactly like the complex that had been destroyed – in order to send them back much more quickly, but that had its own set of problems. The complex was too large to hide and it required a lot of time to build. The Aeon on the other hand were a lot closer and since this was their world then they could more easily gate a few ACUs and encircle the UEF pilots if they tried to hold their ground.

The Aeon counter attack had been devastating and the UEF forces were spread out across the continent. What they needed now was someone to take the Aeon's attention away from the remaining UEF forces so that they could build their own gates and escape. Arnold had volunteered for that mission and he estimated that he had less than ten minutes to build his base before the Aeon managed to spot him. Things were about to get pretty interesting.

**XXXXX**

"I still don't get it," protested Dostya while holding on to her seatbelts: "What are we going to do down there?"

Dostya nearly had to shout as the ship entered a dense storm cloud. Mather was in front of her, his hands flying over the controls to keep the small cargo ship steady through the intense turbulence. To her left sat Keith, monitoring the status of their engines and of the cargo at the same time. When no answer came from the front, Dostya turned to her left, but the Commando merely shrugged: "It's a special training course."

"But what is it about and what are we carrying?" shouted Dostya again. A sudden jolt almost made her bite the tip of her tongue and she cursed softly in Russian. The incident made Keith chuckle: "The surprise is part of what makes it special. As for what's in the back, that's the payment."

"Payment?" echoed Dostya while looking back. For a moment, she regretted the question and wondered what the payment was. Currency was still being used on Earth after all, but she had seen no sign of it during the past few days with the Cybrans. As long as you were doing 'something' productive then everyone pretty much left you alone. She had not considered that while their node might be self-sufficient, others might not be so lucky.

The skies cleared up suddenly and exposed the massive complex underneath them. Mather switched the ship into hovering mode and they could see that the black spires were painted with red skulls. Automated engineers roamed the exterior of the complex to repair the damage from the storm and many ships were hovering about. Dostya marveled at the sight, but snickered a bit when she got a better look: "It's almost as if these guys thought that they were pirates."

"That's because they are," answered the Commando. The answer obviously surprised Dostya and the Keith smiled broadly as he added: "Welcome to the Red Skull Node; home of some of the greatest raiders – or pirates – that Minerva has ever known. You can find some of the best SCU pilots in the galaxy down there and it's a great place for parties. It's for those who enjoy… well… an even greater level of freedom and revelry than what is available in other nodes."

Dostya was about to ask more just as their ship landed and Mather spoke for the first time since they started the trip: "We're here."

**XXXXX**

"I grow bored, Sister," complained Lani softly while crossing her arms: "Do we have any news of Marxon's return yet?"

Pao sighed and checked the data feed before answering Lani's question: "A few hours, maybe more. The gates on Seraphim Two must be busy with so many things going on."

Lani snorted, her SCU moving briskly through the city that they were guarding: "If he had stayed then we would have destroyed the UEF hours ago and would be preparing a counter attack by now. Instead, we get to watch as other Commanders take a standard approach instead of any real strategic move."

Pao did not object for she thought the same. Without Marxon's leadership, the Aeon forces engaged the enemy carefully by progressively moving bases forward and herding the UEF as best as they could. The objective was to force them to gather in a single area so that they would be forced to make a last stand while building a gate, but unfortunately their enemy had not complied. Instead, the UEF Commanders fought when they could, but when too many forces focused on them, they moved to another location. Reports of Broadswords harassing supply lines and of a mobile factory – a Fatboy – had already reached them.

The two sisters had relocated to one of Orionis' residential settlements until Marxon returned, but their usefulness was limited. They patrolled the area and performed basic maintenance on the local infrastructures, but there was little more that they could do. Without an ACU to act as the main command unit, the city could barely support twenty defensive structures. A few shields, turrets, power generators, mass extractors and a quantum gate, but nothing more. They would serve as the basic building blocks should an ACU gate in to defend the settlement, but it could not support much more on its own. Still, the city was many kilometers away from the main battle and no enemy scouts had been spotted in the area.

Pao absent mindedly touched the wound on her right temple and took the time to remember her near death experience in the last battle. It was not the thought of death that unsettled her, but rather the near insanity that the UEF pilot had displayed and the fact that it had caught them off guard. Her musing was interrupted as Lani's voice came through: "Radar signal detected east of our position! Could it be a UEF scout?"

The two SCUs regrouped near the center of the city where the critical power generators and control centers were located. Pao's eyes widened as the number of signals multiplied: "No, incoming air attack!"

Without warning, a wave of interceptors passed overhead and drew the majority of the anti-air turret fire, but they were but a mere distraction for the dozen transports that followed. Without a way to manually take control of the turrets, the sisters watched helplessly as most transports passed through the shields to drop their units in the middle of the city. A mixture of Mech Marines, Strikers and Lobos stormed out and focused fire on the nearby shield generators first.

Lani was about to rush forward, but Pao quickly blocked her path: "Another air attack must be on its way. We have to defend the control center or else we will lose the city!"

Lani cursed, but knew that her sister was right and prevented the diminutive troops from reaching them while Pao added a few anti-air SAM sites. The two sisters went into their deadly dance with one repairing or replacing destroyed defensive structures while the other mercilessly crushed any land unit that managed to slip under their shields. They were helpless to stop the carnage in the rest of settlement, however, as UEF units either stormed buildings or blasted them from a distance until they collapsed.

Pao's prediction soon proved to be true when a group of six Broadswords appeared and started laying waste to the rest of the settlement. Two of them tried to attack them directly, but the four SAM sites that had just been built tore them to pieces before they could penetrate the shields. Whoever was commanding the enemy forces seemed to notice this and kept his units out of reach of the deadly duo as if to bait them.

When most of the settlement was destroyed, the remaining Broadswords – the only enemy units that had any value - turned around and left while the rest of the land forces made a last, desperate rush for the two SCUs. Crushing the small robots brought neither joy nor comfort to the sisters. As soon as the leftover enemy force was destroyed, Lani rushed out from beneath the protection of the shield and searched the city: "How could they do this? These were civilians; priests and pilgrims coming to the holy planet for enlightenment! How could our fellow Commanders let a UEF pilot slip that close to our position?"

Pao surveyed the carnage while holding back silent tears: "I don't think they did. Another UEF Commander probably gated behind our lines to throw us off balance…"

Lani slammed a fist angrily against her console: "Then why strike here? This settlement had no significant strategic value or resources!"

Lani's SCU came around a corner and she noticed a pilgrim hanging for his life from the top of a burning building. She ran as quickly as she could and reached up with her SCU to try and catch him. The man fell four stories before landing on the outstretched robotic arm. She did not hear the dull snap as the man's spine shattered on the heavily reinforced arm nor could she do anything but watch as red blood marred it's otherwise flawless green surface. The SCU lowered the body as gently as it could and delicately allowed it to slip to the ground.

A single fact stood out in the sisters' minds at that moment: the UEF had failed. The gate was still standing and Marxon was on his way back. Before long, whoever had done this would face the Aeon's fury.

**XXXXX**

Dostya watched the exchange between Mather and another man from across the room, but she could not make out the words and the heavy smoke that hung in the air clouded her view. Her fingers tapped nervously on the table and she tried not to be intimidated by the crowd that was surrounding them. The bar at Node Fifty-Six had been a relaxed one with their patrons simply trying to forget about the war, but this was something else entirely. Here the patrons were heavily muscled tattooed men, brawlers, passed out drunks, scantily clad exotic dancers and more. The air was filled with a nervous energy as if the entire establishment would burst into a brawl at any given moment.

She saw Mather and his companion finally agree on something and shake hands before the pilot returned to Dostya and Keith: "Ok, it's all set."

Keith stood up and Dostya was about to do the same, but Mather placed a hand on her shoulder to hold her down: "You're staying here."

A moment of panic filled her as Mather turned around and pointed at the man across the room: "That's Bagby, one of the best SCU pilot that you'll ever meet. Your task is to beat him in the manner that you chose. Once that's done, he'll contact us and we'll come pick you up."

Dostya was about to ask what that was about, but Keith cut her off: "And we won't be giving any clues either, so though luck."

The two friends nodded at each other and left. Dostya contemplated going after them for a moment, but stopped herself, willing to rise to the challenge. She crossed the room towards the spot where Bagby was sitting and finally got a good view of him. He was perhaps in his fifties with tattoos covering both of his well-muscled arms and he hid his smirk under a short grey beard.

"So, you're Mather's new pet huh?" said the SCU pilot in greeting while leaning back into his chair: "You know, I always had doubts about Mather's orientation, but seeing you like this probably proves that he's straight. That's a bad start because it means that I lost a bet and that I'll owe someone a bottle of Minerva's Swamp."

Dostya's eyes widened in protest, but before she could reply, Bagby jumped to his feet, turned around, leaned against the wall and dropped his pants: "Ok, let's get this over with: hit me, beat me and make me a man!"

Dostya stepped back in horror and brought both hands up: "Are you completely insane?"

Laughter exploded all around her and someone in the crowd shouted: "He sure is!"

Dostya looked around in panic and took another step back as Bagby turned around: "What? You're not supposed to beat my donkey?"

Dostya straightened and tried to regain her composure: "Hell no! I'm just supposed to beat you… at something!"

"Phew, well that's a relief!" said the old man as he bent down to retrieve his pants: "I mean, it starts innocently then one of us gets pregnant and before you know it you have a little Bagby junior running around setting fire to buildings. As much as I like the thought, these guys can barely handle one of me. So what do you want to beat me at then: poker, dance, Chess?"

Dostya could feel her entire face redden, but still managed to stop him there: "Chess sounds good."

Bagby nodded and motioned towards the table: "Splendid, I just happen to have a board under that table that we can use. It's missing a few pieces so from this point on, beer caps are pawns."

The crowd in the bar settled down a bit as they sat down at the table and prepared the game, but Dostya felt something else in the air, as if everyone was expecting something to happen at any moment. The board was soon set and Bagby started the game: "So, how's sticky-hands doing? Still moving around as if all of Minerva was on his shoulders?"

Dostya countered with a classic opening before answering: "Mather is doing ok, I think. He is a good teacher."

Bagby moved a bishop aggressively towards her side of the board and Dostya responded by threatening it with a pawn. To her surprise, he ignored the threat and moved another pawn. She hesitated a moment before taking the free piece.

"Now how did that happen?" asked the SCU pilot while scratching the back of his head. Bagby then shrugged as if the loss did not matter: "Oh well, that won't stop the famous Bagby gambit in nine moves!"

Dostya studied the board intensively, trying to understand what Bagby meant, but even with her cybernetic implants she came to the same conclusion that she would have made years ago: there was no threat.

The game went on and by the eighth move, Dostya had already taken a huge lead. It was Bagby's turn, but he stopped a barmaid in her tracks and handed her his drink: "Hold this and watch the master at work!"

The entire room hushed as Bagby rubbed his hands eagerly and Dostya studied the board again to make sure that she had not missed anything.

"Think fast!" cried Bagby suddenly as he leaned forward. In one swift move, the SCU pilot grabbed the board and threw it in the air. So focused on the game was Dostya that she looked up, trying to figure out if the pieces would somehow fall back in a specific order as if by magic. She looked back down as something came into her view and did not even have time to blink as a fist caught her straight in the jaw. She fell backwards off her chair and her head collided painfully with the floor. Before she could recover, something heavy was placed on top of her and partially crushed her throat.

"So how did I beat you?" taunted Bagby. Dostya's vision cleared partially and she saw that the SCU pilot had placed his chair on top of her and using one of the bars to choke her. She started cursing in Russian, but some extra pressure on the chair choked the words off.

Bagby shrugged from his perch atop the chair while twirling a hand in the air: "You were supposed to beat me. Fists, kicks, biting, whatever, but you took the comfortable route; that of logic, rules of engagements and fair play."

To her credit, Dostya managed to get her hand on the chair and eased off some of the pressure: "If I had…"

Bagby immediately grabbed his drink from the barmaid's platter and emptied it on her face: "If, else, switch, while, do; all computer talk! This is not a game and there's no reset button or saved file! It might be comforting to think within the boundaries of logic and statistics, but that's not life and it will get you killed! Don't believe me?"

Dostya grimaced angrily while blinking the burning liquid out of her eyes and grunted. Bagby nodded slowly, got back to his feet and threw the chair away: "Come on then, brat, and let me see what you can really do."

Dostya got back to her feet and rubbed her sore throat. When she was convinced that there was no permanent damage, she took a fighting stance and attacked while ignoring the crowd that was hooting around them. Bagby's defense was no better than his chess opening: sloppy and inefficient.

She was surprised when a punch managed to catch him in the jaw and she readied a roundhouse kick to finish him off. She twirled around but instead of delivering the final blow, a pair of hands caught her leg and threw her face first to the floor. Bagby had somehow managed to twist around and pull off the move without even looking!

Before Dostya could realize what was happening, she felt a boot kick her in the stomach and cut off her breath. She tried to get back up, but Bagby kicked her repeatedly until she stopped struggling. He then kneeled down and grabbed a hold of her head: "Figured out why I'm beating you yet?"

Bagby slammed Dostya's head on the floor and started walking around her: "It's called many things, but it's most widely known as the machine complex. It's a side effect of the AI twining process that can affect any Cybran. It's insidious and it's one of the hardest things to cure if you let it root in."

Dostya tried to get back up, but Bagby kicked her back down. He spat at her and kept going: "Think I'm being unfair, low and a downright bastard? Well, you're right and the worst thing is that it works. Right now, your brain and that little AI of yours are going through a few loops like 'what if' and 'if only'. The truth, however, is that you need to stop looking through that logical side of yours and start searching for something else!"

The room had hushed now and while no one was cheering anymore, no one was making a move to stop Bagby either: "The machine complex is simple; it's when someone gets so comforted by the logical and measurable side of the AI that they lose their human self. They become obsessed with finding the optimal way to do things and always travel from point A to point B in a straight line because it's the shortest path. What they don't realize is that by doing this, they become predictable to the point where even a simple computer program can soon start predicting their next move. We lost many pilots that way because they lost the ability to think outside the box."

Bagby lowered his voice as he kneeled besides Dostya again: "So hate me if you want and call me a slimy bastard too. I fully deserve it and I've been called far worse. The truth, however, is that you're not going out there until you beat me and to do that, you'll have to drop your pride and get as low and dirty as I can be. Here, I'll give you a hand…"

The SCU pilot caught Dostya by her shirt and dragged her across the room. He opened the rear door and threw her down in the mud caked backstreet. The doors closed and Dostya collapsed as rain started falling again.

**Chapter 8 **

**Harsh Lessons **

Cold… that was the first sensation that crawled through Dostya's mind as she slowly regained consciousness. The rain had soaked her all the way to the bones and the muddy ground was not any warmer. She reflexively twisted around in order to put her frozen hands under her armpits, but then the feeling of cold was replaced by stabs of pain.

Her ribs hurt and she could taste the blood in her mouth. Aside from a scuffle or two in high school, she had never been in a serious fight nor suffered any more than a few bruises. Nothing in her life had prepared her for the brutal beating that Bagby had given her.

Taking care not to put any pressure on her wounded side, Dostya managed to get into a sitting position and crawl towards a nearby wall. The surface partially shielded her from the rain as she replayed the battle in her mind to find out how she had lost. Technically, she was younger, faster and more agile than the old man and yet he had managed to anticipate her attacks. For a moment, it had almost seemed as if he knew what she was about to do even before she did, but how was that even possible? And that talk about a machine complex, was it a decoy tactic like all those lewd remarks or was there something more to it?

Through her entire life, all of Dostya's conflicts had been governed by a set or rules. Chess, exams at school and even fencing all had a definite start, stop and scoring system. This fight had been different though for Bagby had kept her off balanced from the very beginning by posing as an insulting and bumbling idiot. That had been the reason that she had underestimated him and he had pressed that advantage until he won.

Was that the objective of this training? Was she supposed to learn humility by taking her first crushing defeat? Maybe that was it; maybe all she needed to do was to fight with everything she had without giving her opponent any chances at all. Even with her injuries, Dostya felt confident that she could do it. She had noticed that the old SCU pilot favored his left leg which suggested that he had an old war injury.

A set of bruised ribs versus a crippled leg… Dostya quickly thought of all the fighting stances and strategies that she could muster before getting back to her feet.

**XXXXX**

"That was pretty harsh, Bagby, even for you," said the barman with a disapproving grunt.

Bagby picked up a rag from the counter and rubbed his bruised knuckles: "Had to be done. Don't tell anyone, but I actually like Mather. I always have. He's a noble idiot, but noble still and I don't want her to get him killed. Speaking of which, hand me one of those bottles that they brought for me."

The barman sighed and handed Bagby a bottle of Minerva's Swamp: "Still, was it necessary to beat her that much? She probably got a few bruised ribs from that."

"Hey!" exclaimed Bagby loudly while slamming the bottle on the counter and pointing an accusing finger at the other Cybran: "Do I tell you how to serve booze, clean the tables and prepare food?"

The barman considered this a moment before nodding: "All the time. You're quite a pain in that department too."

Bagby snorted and spat in the corner: "And you're better off when I tell you! If you want the truth though, that kid's got pride. That much I could see in her eyes the moment that she walked in here and she has a long way to fall if she's ever to get over that problem."

The old SCU pilot was about to add more when he heard the rear door open and the whole room hush. The barman groaned as Bagby handed him the bottle back: "Told you she was stubborn."

A minute later Dostya was again thrown through the back door of the bar with a few new bruises.

**XXXXX**

"Wow, whatever you destroyed back there, it worked," said Desjar as he relayed the latest tactical updates to Arnold: "We're getting reports from our other commanders that pressure has dropped on their flank and plans are being made to build a quantum gate complex. Of course, that also means that it's bad news for you since they'll be coming your way."

Arnold acknowledged and double checked his tactical display. The attack that he had launched against the Aeon complex had been a blind one, counting more on surprise than planning to cause some serious damage. Usually he would have launched a few scouts ahead of time for a more thorough extermination, but the objective was to cause as much chaos as possible, not to win the entire war on his own: "This must be what it's like to fight like a Cybran."

"Say that again, boss?" asked Desjar, having been distracted by a new tactical update on his side. Arnold just shook his head and waved the notion away: "Never mind. Does intelligence have any clue as to who or what attacked the quantum gate complex initially? I'd like to take a shot at it if I could to buy some more time."

There was a pause as Desjar consulted the others. The other pilot then shook his head: "Negative, and they just told me that three or four ACUs might be heading your way. They're basically advising you to bug out through the gate that you built before they show up. You bought the rest of our forces a good fifteen percent chance of escaping… or so they say."

Arnold cringed for he hated probabilities as it made all the spilled blood no more important than statistics. Deep down, he knew that it was just a nice way for intelligence to say 'you did good, but they'll still die'. It was at times like these when they were backed against the wall that Arnold wished that they had some stealth technology like the Cybrans. If only there was a way to keep the Aeon forces occupied in the same fashion that the terrorists had kept him busy on Pollux…

An idea suddenly surged in Arnold's mind and his fingers moved in a hurry over his console as he drew a rough draft: "Desjar, get to the gate. It's time for you to join me."

Arnold watched with a small measure of amusement as the SCU pilot jumped in his seat: "We're doing what now? I thought we were supposed to help people off Orionis, not get more of them there!"

A quick sequence of commands brought down the ACU's personal shields and Arnold had to enter a confirmation code to jettison the upgrade. He felt naked without the force field surrounding him, but he tried to ignore the feeling and instead programmed his ACU to build a more expensive module: "Trust me Desjar, we're about to have a lot of fun! It's time to play hide and seek."

**XXXXX**

The quantum gate hummed as it powered up. A dome closed over it briefly and the lights of what was left of the settlement winked out for an instant as all the energy was redirected. The humming died down slowly and the dome opened, revealing the Aeon ACU that had just gated to the planet.

Marxon took a moment to recalibrate his sensors and take a look at the damage that surrounded him. Most of the settlement had been destroyed by the UEF sneak attack and the few civilians that had survived were busy taking care of the wounded and preparing for the trip back to Seraphim Two. Standing over the survivors were Pao and Lani's SCUs which had thankfully survived the assault. They stood silently as if expecting to be judged and reprimanded for the loss of the outpost.

"Report," said Marxon simply. As the two SCU pilots filled him in on what happened, Marxon activated his tactical map and connected to the local network. He noted the UEF sightings and cringed when he saw how spread out the Aeon forces were. Four Aeon ACUs had been sent against a single UEF pilot while the remaining forces were containing the original UEF invasion troops.

Those four ACUs were needed for the main assault and while he understood the reasoning behind such an overkill, it also meant that their plan was dependent upon how quickly the lone pilot could be dealt with. Marxon would have preferred it if every pilot had kept focusing on the main UEF task force. If it was destroyed – even at the cost of another settlement – then it would open the way to a far stronger counter attack.

Marxon could not help but think that if he had gated back a few hours earlier then the UEF sneak attack could have been averted and they would probably be victorious by now. The spiritual caste had gotten in the way of the military yet again.

There was little that he could change at the moment, however, for he was not the Avatar-of-War just yet. Frowning, Marxon keyed in his tactical map and focused it on the coordinates where a UEF straggler had yet to rejoin their main group: "Pao, Lani, we'll be hunting for that target instead. Do not grieve for our losses here. They are one with The Way and before the day is through, we will make the UEF regret ever setting foot on Orionis."

**XXXXX**

Bagby belched loudly, scratched his crotch and sighed contentedly. His eyes darted to the clock on the bar's wall and he noted the time. It had been three hours since Dostya's last attack and there had been no sign of her since. Of course the reason for that was simple: she was probably just hiding somewhere for a sneak attack.

They all fell back to that option once they had been defeated once or twice. It was the logical choice. If you can't fight fair then you fight dirty. Of course since Babgy knew the attack was coming then all he needed to do was to spring the trap in a manner that he chose.

With that in mind, Bagby took his glass of Minerva's swamp and noisily drank it while spilling most of it on his beard. He then got up and half walked, half stumbled towards the door. He was not really drunk, but he had been drunk often enough in his life to mimic the specific pattern easily enough. He also leaned more heavily on his left leg, confident from his last battle that Dostya had probably picked up that sign as well. Of course his right leg was no more crippled than he was drunk, but it was part of the game to let her believe so. By displaying an apparent weakness, the logical half of a Cybran could not help but try to take advantage of it which made the attack predictable and therefore easier to counter.

As he made his way out and on the street, Bagby took the same path that he always took when training someone out of a machine complex. He knew those streets like the back of his hand as well as every shadow. Broken pieces of bottles had been placed at very specific spots to reflect the image from the good ambush spots so that Bagby could see them without looking around.

It was thanks to these signs that the old SCU pilot noticed the shadow that was a little too large in the reflection of one bottle. He barely refrained from smiling as he stepped into the 'ambush'. There was a blur of movement, but he was already dodging, twisting and barely avoiding the blow from a lead pipe that would have knocked him down.

Time slowed as he watched the surprised look on Dostya's face and Bagby had to admit that he liked the sight. She was unbalanced by the near miss and could not react in time to block Bagby's kick as it caught her in her wounded side. There was a muted gasp as the blow knocked her off her feet and into the nearby pile of garbage.

Bagby dusted off his hands for the fun of it, no longer pretending to be drunk at all: "Still not getting it, are you? Can't help it if you're a slow learner."

With that, he shrugged and headed back to the bar.

**XXXXX**

Dostya struggled out of the pile of garbage and slumped in the alley while coughing some blood. She had spent hours in the cold while scouting the entire area to find every good ambush spot and even then he had bested her. She had spotted him stumbling out of the bar and anticipated his course well enough only to have him somehow dodge her blow and strike back.

The pain, cold, frustration as well as the near impossibility of it was just too much and she slammed her fist angrily in the garbage. To her horror, the bag split open and spilled its content at her feet. She cursed her luck until she spotted a piece of clothing in the middle of it. Suddenly curious, she pulled at it, revealing and old torn trench coat. It was smelly and had probably been there a while, but at that moment, Dostya did not care. All that she knew was that she was cold. She winced as she got back to her feet to put it on, her ribs throbbing. The smell was absolutely horrible, but at least she would be warmer now.

"Well now I stink as much as he does," said Dostya between clenched teeth. She tried to laugh, but found herself coughing instead and had to lean against a wall for support. The question remained: how could she win? Each fight had left her more battered than the last and she still was no closer to understanding how he managed to anticipate her so completely.

A bolt of lightning raced overhead and the rain intensified. Dostya ran to a nearby doorway to avoid the worst of it. She hugged the battered trench coat a little closer and tried to warm up her hands when her gaze was drawn to a nearby beer bottle. It was resting at an awkward angle despite being full of rain. Dostya tried to pick it up in order to throw it in the pile of garbage, but it was glued in place. Realization dawned on her face as she looked around the alley and noticed other reflective pieces of garbage that were strategically placed.

It had been planned, all of it! He had known of her ambush because he had seen it coming on the reflective surfaces. Dostya immediately considered throwing the bottle away and rearranging things in her favor, but stopped. She had been playing his game from the very beginning and falling into every trap. Her entire attack pattern had been logical and well planned, but it was also something that could be anticipated by another Cybran! The only thing that had not been a lie or a deception had been Bagby's explanation of the machine complex.

She knew now that had she been fighting herself; that she could have anticipated her own attacks as easily as Bagby had since they were made in a logical sequence. What she needed was to dig into her human side. Dostya's gaze fell on the pile of garbage and she smiled.

**XXXXX**

"So then I did the only thing that I could… I asked her to marry me!" cried Bagby while thrusting his bottle towards the ceiling. The crowd around him was divided between those that roared in laughter and those that did not believe a word of the tale. The old SCU pilot was about to continue his story when the rear door of the bar opened, causing everyone to hush.

The old SCU pilot saw the unbelieving gaze from the barman and knew that it was Dostya. Thinking that it was very likely that she would throw something at him, he jumped off the table that he had been standing on and rolled it over to act as cover. He waited a second for the sound of a projectile hitting the table. What he heard instead was something heavy hitting the fan above him.

The whole area was immediately showered with something sticky with Bagby taking the brunt of it. For the first time since the conflict had started, Bagby was surprised, not to mention grossed out by the vile stench. A second projectile hit the fan and again the area was splattered with junk.

"This time, it literally hit the fan," grumbled the barman from behind his counter. Bagby stood up slowly and whipped his beard from the worst of it: "Did you just throw what I think you threw all over my favorite bar?"

A third projectile caught the SCU pilot straight in the chest and splattered its content all over him. Bagby swore loudly before pointing a finger at Dostya: "Ok, that's it! I don't care if you're Mather's girlfriend! This time, I'm breaking bones!"

With that, the SCU pilot rushed forward, jumped over a nearby table and attacked. The first two punches opened Dostya's weakened defense wide and he aimed the third punch for her side while transferring all of his weight. His fist connected and more than a few patrons winced at the sound of broken bone.

Bagby was also surprised for the crack was a lot louder than expected… and had originated from his wrist. His shock was quickly replaced by the realization that Dostya had hidden a metal plate under her battered trench coat, but before he could recover she slammed her head forward, crushing his nose with her forehead. Hot blood poured down his face as he stumbled backward, but Dostya did not stop there and kicked him straight in the crotch for good measure. The combination of pain and surprise caused Bagby to close his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again, all that he saw was a metal plate heading straight for his face.

**XXXXX**

Mather and Keith rushed down the streets of the Red Skull Node in a hurry. It had been but a day and already a message had reached them to come and pick up Dostya. Usually 'training' someone out of a machine complex took days and sometimes weeks because of the injuries that Bagby inflicted. Since it had been but a day, however, it could mean only one thing: Dostya had been seriously injured.

They made their way to the bar and their eyes widened at the display. Everyone was gone except for Dostya and Bagby who were both sitting at the same table with a bottle of Minerva's Swamp between them. The whole room was covered in filth, overturned chairs and broken bottles. Dostya was covered in rags with bruises covering most of her face and Bagby was in no better condition with a puffed eye, broken nose and a hastily bandaged hand. Both were also quite drunk, having passed through a bottle and starting a second.

"Hey! What took you guys so long?" greeted Bagby while thrusting his bottle towards the ceiling: "We've been having a party here without you!"

Bagby took another swig while Keith and Mather entered the room: "You two did all this?"

Dostya and Bagby looked around the room and then at each other before bursting out laughing. Bagby was the first who managed to get his laugh back under control and motioned towards the room: "She… she kicked me in the balls… and then this happened! The moral is… um… what were we talking about again?"

Mather groaned but Keith sat down and poured himself a glass: "So she's cured now, right? No more machine complex?"

Bagby looked down at his lap, removed an ice pack, tilted his head, replaced the ice pack and nodded: "They say yes."

Keith smirked and turned to Mather: "Well, no point arguing with Bagby's balls!"

**XXXXX**

"Closing in on the target," said the Aeon Commander leading the charge. She sent her land forces towards the UEF base at the same time as the three other pilots. The combined forces of all four could not be stopped and it was only a matter of minutes before the UEF ACU would either be destroyed or be forced to gate out of the sector. Once that was done, they could refocus all of their energies on the remaining UEF forces and crush them once and for all. It was an obvious overkill, but time was of the essence if they were to destroy all of their enemies.

The area was soon filled with laser fire as the Harbingers reached the base. Dozens of Harbingers were cut down by the local point defense turrets, artillery and gunships only to have another wave crawl over them. Sheer numbers allowed the siege bots to pierce the defenses and the Aeon Commander focused her screen on the UEF ACU that was standing in the middle of the base. Why was he not escaping into his quantum gate?

The answer came a second later as the UEF ACU flashed once and then disappeared. The rest of the base's defenses were quickly overwhelmed, but the Aeon commander cursed anyway. Their mark had escaped, but not through the quantum gate. The ACU had been upgraded with a teleportation device… and that meant it could be anywhere on the planet.

**XXXXX**

"Oh my head!" groaned Dostya a few hours later. She felt as though her training command unit was pounding away in her brain and she closed her eyes in pain. Besides her, Mather leaned closer and placed a wet towel on her forehead: "Easy. You took quite a beating out there. I should probably congratulate you on being the first to slice through your machine complex in a day."

Dostya grimaced as she rubbed her temples: "Thanks, but the next time that you put me through something like that, I'll kick you in the balls instead. So when do we get back to training?"

Mather chuckled while shaking his head: "Not for another week. You need to recover first. Not to mention that it will take at least that long to get that stink off of you."

For a moment, it looked as though Dostya was about to protest, but she stopped and merely nodded weakly. She then smiled softly and Mather noticed it: "What is it?"

She shrugged which brought another wave of pain, but she kept smiled: "Nothing; just remembering a story that Bagby told me before you guys got there. Got to know that the guy is talking crap when he says that he asked an Aeon pilot to marry him."

"Actually… that one is true," admitted Mather with a shrug. Dostya's eyes widened as he explained: "He was with me on a mission against the Aeon that went terribly wrong; one of my first. I had set up a few too many power generators together and they chain reacted when one of them was destroyed. Bagby was at the front and I was desperately trying to build a stealth tactical missile launcher within range of their ACU. There were a good fifty Harbingers heading towards my base with no way to stop them, so Babgy did what he did best."

Mather smiled at the memory: "He found an Aeon SCU and used an EMP blast to knock her down. He then asked her to marry him and called her a lot of things like 'milk mount' and 'joy buzzers' while describing how their twelve cybernetic children would look like. You really needed to be there to realize how insane it all was."

Dostya coughed, but nodded slowly: "Somehow, I think I can imagine it."

Mather nodded as he finished the story: "Anyway, the Aeon ACU pilot was so scandalized that she stopped the attack on my base to rescue her friend and Babgy had to dance away while Harbingers and gunships all focused on him. I barely completed the tactical missile launcher in time and blew up the ACU. The rest of the army then automatically self-destructed."

"And the SCU pilot?" asked Dostya out of curiosity. Mather shrugged at the question: "The way that Bagby tells it, he called the divorce soon afterwards. He might be rude, stinky, insulting, low, sadistic, underhanded, crazy…"

"A pervert," added Dostya without a hint of hesitation. Mather conceded the point: "A pervert and many other things, but out there, when you're in the thick of it and nothing makes sense anymore, he's the best friend that you could ever hope to have."

Dostya took a moment to let it sink in and then nodded. 

**Chapter 9 **

**Assassination **

The door slid open and Mather entered his quarters. It had taken them a few hours to get back to Node Fifty-Six, but it was good to be home again. They had left Dostya in the infirmary in Ell's care and Mather was persuaded that she would come knocking at his door within a few days. The thought filled him with an equal proportion of dread and eagerness at the same time and he paused as he realized this. Since when had he actually been eager to see Dostya?

Sighing, the ACU pilot removed his boots and shirt before making his way towards his bed. The flashing indicator on his computer caught his eye and he activated it. A triggered report concerning Orionis was displayed and he quickly scanned through its content. Mather's eyes narrowed as he spotted the name that the automatic search engine had detected: "You'd better stay alive… because it will be my pleasure to kill you myself."

With that, Mather scrambled to his locker, picked up a jump suit and ran out of his quarters. The computer screen had a single picture with a name flashing underneath it: Zachary Arnold.

**XXXXX**

"What do we do now?" asked Abil as she searched through her sensor logs: "The UEF Commander could be anywhere on the continent, but we do not have the time to search for him. The longer we stay here, the more likely it will be that the remaining UEF pilots will solidify their position."

The four Aeon commanders looked at the destroyed base before Ireia – the highest ranking commander amongst them – spoke: "Abil, we will transfer most of our assets from our hastily constructed bases to you. Your mission is to track down the UEF Commander before he can rebuild a new base."

Ireia brought up her tactical display and outlined the likeliest places where the enemy might have retreated to and still be a threat later on: "He will need a good fifteen minutes without interruptions to rebuild his forces, wherever he is. As long as we do not leave him that much time then he will not be a serious threat. Find him quickly, finish him off and then join us at the front. I'm counting on you, little sister."

Ireia then turned towards the other two pilots: "The rest of us are needed. The sheer amount of Harbingers that we built here should not be wasted, so I want the two of you to head through the land route. I will take what is left of our air forces and travel ahead of you."

The four commanders nodded and each went to their tasks. A few minutes later, something hidden deeply under the wreckage of the UEF base stirred.

**XXXXX**

Drops of sweat slid down Desjar's face as he grumbled under his breath: "Of all the stupid plans that he could think of, this has to be the most stupid! If this doesn't get me killed then I don't know what will!"

Desjar pressed a button on his wristwatch to activate its light and looked at the time. The explosions had stopped roughly five minutes ago and he had been instructed to wait for as long as possible. Of course what Arnold had neglected to take into account was that Desjar's SCU was growing hotter and hotter with each passing second thanks to the planet's suffocating heat. Although it was not a pleasure yacht under normal circumstances, Desjar suddenly found himself begging for his air conditioner instead of just basic life support systems.

The SCU pilot waited two minutes longer, sweat covering his entire body. When he could no longer take it without the risk of fainting, he pressed the entry sequence to reinitialize his SCU. The engines groaned in protest for they had been forced through a cold shutdown but a few minutes earlier. Desjar patted his monitor a few times and whispered: "Come on baby! Make daddy proud and I promise that I'll give you a nice little wax job when we get to… yes!"

All the lights in the cockpit flashed on and although he was momentarily blinded, Desjar was still grinning all the way to his ears. The welcomed blast from the air conditioner sent shivers down his spine as he took control of his SCU: "Time to go for a walk."

With that, the SCU stirred and trashed around, digging through the piles of scrap that it was buried under.

On the surface, the ruins of a destroyed EG 900 fusion reactor shifted slowly for a few moments before one of its sides burst open. The SCU's building laser immediately went to work, rebuilding a destroyed EG 200 fusion reactor and a stealth generator. Desjar estimated that he had probably emitted a radar signature for no more than a few seconds before his position was cloaked; something that could be easily attributed to an explosion from the destroyed fusion reactor. Even so, time was of the essence and his fingers danced over his controls as he assigned multiple commands: "If this plan works then he'll never let me live it down."

Under normal circumstances, it would take between ten and twenty minutes to get a fully operational base online. With all the wreckage at his disposal, Desjar could probably have most of it rebuilt in less than four. The only question was: could Arnold survive that long out there on his own?

**XXXXX**

Its name was Billy…

Of course it was not the official name of the missile and most high ranking officers frowned whenever someone referred to such an expensive weapon by that name. Still, a non-official patch had been loaded in the ACU's program so that the innocent name was carved on the missile's surface. Some rumors said that Billy was the name of the nuke's creator while others pointed out that it was an attempt to confuse the enemy. There was even another wild rumor that the nickname had been created in an official document detailing the weapon's capacity because its full name was just too damned annoying to type. In the end, the only thing that truly mattered was this: Billy had launched.

The missile took off from the back of a UEF ACU, made a tight turn and hurled itself at full speed towards the enemy. It flew over the mass extractors and power generators before reaching the first line of defense. There the Titans ignored Billy as they swarmed past a Fatboy, its four turrets glowing red hot from the nonstop fire that it was dishing out over the battlefield.

The missile made a slight course correction, gaining in altitude and dodging through the mess of air superiority fighters that were dancing over the battlefield. One such fighter exploded in Billy's path and a piece of shrapnel made a long scratch along its surface. The missile ignored the damage and flew over the air battle and into the clouds. There it seemed to pause as if enjoying one last moment of peace in the clear skies.

The moment of peace shattered as the missile twisted in the air and engaged its second stage engines. Billy hurled through the clouds and narrowly missed a Czar as it made its way to its one true target: the Aeon ACU. Time stopped for a split second as the missile finally reached its intended target and the Aeon Commander was close enough to read the name on the weapon's surface. Billy glowed white before detonating in a massive nuclear explosion.

Aeon shields buckled and quickly collapsed, unable to stop the wave of raw energy. The quantum generators that they protected soon followed, adding their own explosions to the wave that washed over the base. The ACU could only stand helplessly as the wave reached it. For an instant, it seemed that its personal shields would hold, but these too buckled and collapsed. The Aeon ACU's heavily reinforced green plating peeled off quickly, revealing the circuitry underneath. The liquid metal that was part of the self-repair module splashed uselessly to the ground before evaporating, unable to compensate for the extreme heat.

As suddenly as it had begun, the bright light dimmed and the heavily damaged ACU merely stood still, barely functioning with most of its internal circuitry exposed. It was then that the shockwave hit, blasting it to pieces. The ACU's own explosion was insignificant next to the wave that shattered everything in the area, but the destruction was not restricted to the Aeon base.

A Czar paused on the front line, its control matrix trying to reestablish contact with the ACU that had created it. When no signal was received, the experimental weapon initiated its self-destruct protocols. The risk of having such a weapon captured through signal tampering was too great and so it turned off its engines and pummeled to the ground. The nearby ground units that belonged to the other ACUs scrambled out of the way, but it was far too late and most either got crushed by the Czar or blown away when it exploded.

The remaining Aeon forces paused for a good fifteen seconds before resuming the attack. Billy had done its job, but the remaining ten UEF ACUs were still being attacked by over twenty Aeon Commanders and both tactical and strategic missile defenses were being added to stop any other similar attacks. The UEF had scored a kill, but the cornered pilots were not off Orionis yet.

**XXXXX**

Arnold's building laser worked furiously, adding layers of tier one power generators and mass fabricators to his small base. His eyes darted to his radar screen every few seconds in anticipation of the inevitable Aeon assault and he had to admit that he felt very vulnerable right now. His personal shield was gone, replaced instead by the teleportation matrix that covered the back of his ACU. A resource allocation system covered the right arm instead of the heavy anti-matter cannon that he was used to and a tech three engineering suite covered the left arm.

In other words, aside from the ACU's short range overcharge ability, he barely had more firepower than a standard tech three unit. Of course that could be mitigated by building a lot of stationary turrets and shields, but the catch was that he needed a lot of resources to build those continuously. Arnold's eyes went from the radar to the mass and energy display.

The matrix that he was currently building was largely insufficient, but it was there mostly to fool the Aeon into thinking that he was alone. His plan was to have the Aeon focus on eliminating him while Desjar rebuilt their base in order to strike from the rear. Of course it would have helped if they had tried it before… or if he had spent more than thirty seconds explaining it before burying Desjar under a pile of rubbles.

A signal appeared on Arnold's radar and he knew that playtime was over. He interrupted his current building queue and immediately built a pair of Flayers which blew up the incoming scout just as it passed over the base. The scout had done its job, however, and Arnold quickly began to build some SD pulse shields and Triad point defense turrets.

He barely completed the fifth point defense turret before the first wave of Harbingers appeared on the nearby hill. The battle that followed was hectic as Arnold alternated between adding more turrets, replacing shields and overloading any Harbinger that slipped under a force field. The first wave of seven Harbingers was eventually destroyed, but long range sensors showed that the next wave was not far behind. Arnold was holding for now, but it would not take much for his entire plan to come crashing down.

**XXXXX**

Data moved on the screen in a blur, going through a self-diagnostic of the ACU before launch. Mather's fingers flashed over the controls, making sure that the war machine was ready for its mission: to assassinate Zachary Arnold.

The Cybran had already memorized the map of the area and he had a good idea where the UEF pilot might be. The few communication logs that their analysts had decrypted showed that the pilot had gated after the main assault which made it very likely that he had been sent on a sneak attack. Therefore Mather's target was not in the main area where the largest amount of quantum communication was underway, but most likely outside of it.

The mission would be hard, but unlike the Aeon Illuminte or the UEF, Cybran technology was specifically designed for sneak attacks. He would gate in secret, establish a base, upgrade his ACU with a cloaking device and then strike from the shadows. If all went well then he would kill the enemy and get out before anyone knew he was there. If not well… it would not be the first time that he would be stuck behind enemy lines.

The humming around him snapped him back to reality, indicating that the gate would be ready in less than a minute. A green light flashed to the right, indicating that someone was hailing him. Every fiber in Mather told him to ignore it; to gate to Orionis and assassinate the UEF bastard that had cost him half his team, but there was only one person that he knew who would contact him at a time like this. Mather opened a channel: "Good evening, Doctor Brackman."

"Good evening, my boy," greeted the Doctor somberly: "I know what you are up to so I will be brief…"

Mather's heart skipped a beat and he clenched his fist. Cybrans were experts when it came to transmitting and interpreting information and although he had prepared in a hurry, anyone that knew of recent events could probably figure out why he was here. Mather also knew the likeliest reason that the Doctor was hailing him as well and his suspicions were confirmed when Brackman spoke again: "I must ask you not to kill that UEF pilot on Orionis."

Mather's fingers hanged above the buttons to cut the transmission and activate the gate. The pilot closed his eyes for one second before opening them again: "It's that bad, huh?"

"Yes, my boy," confirmed the Doctor, his eyes reflecting the sorrow at making such a request: "QAI has estimated that if all UEF forces are destroyed on Orionis then the Aeon counter attack will spill into Cybran territory. The casualties would be… catastrophic."

Doctor Brackman's eyes softened when he next spoke: "I know what it is that I'm asking of you and believe me when I say that I wished with all my heart that I did not have to do so."

Mather nodded slowly, took a deep breath and pressed a few keys. The humming died down as the gate deactivated. Doctor Brackman sighed in relief and smiled: "Thank you my boy… thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, Doctor," said Mather while powering down his ACU: "I'll ask that you do something for me in return."

**XXXXX**

Marxon walked through the destroyed UEF base with Pao and Lani right behind him. This was the fifth UEF ACU that he had destroyed since the start of the counter attack, but that last battle had left him… unsatisfied. For a moment, he had thought that the UEF Commander had purposely stayed behind enemy lines to slow them down, but he had realized four minutes into the battle that he had merely been trapped there. His tactics had been sound, but his attacks lacked grace and it was obvious that he had been struggling to keep his resource levels up. So far, none of his opponents had been a worthy match for the aspiring Avatar-of-War.

A signal on their sensors coming from a large air force made Pao and Lani assume a defensive stance, but Marxon stopped them before they started their defense routine. He had taken the time to study the state of the global war and he knew who was coming his way: "Greetings, Ireia. I trust that all went well with your battle?"

The air force paused and altered course towards Marxon's position. Soon the sky was filled with an appreciable amount of Coronas and Shockers. A moment later, a transport landed and released Ireia's ACU. Marxon nodded slowly in approval. It was risky to fly an ACU across the battlefield, but it was also a move that clearly showed that Ireia had a lot of determination.

The screen on Marxon's left lit up and Ireia's face appeared: "Greetings, Marxon. Yes, the battle went well. The UEF ACU managed to teleport away, but his tactics were horribly flawed and Abil should have no problems tracking him down."

Marxon raised an eyebrow, but did not comment. One did not upgrade his ACU with a teleportation matrix on a whim as it was incredibly costly and left the pilot vulnerable. Right now, however, Marxon needed allies both on the battlefield and to support his candidature as Avatar-of-War. Ireia was not the best, but her convictions were strong and he knew better than to publicly question the wisdom of her decisions. He therefore smiled approvingly despite his doubts: "And the other two Commanders that were accompanying you?"

"They are on their way here with a vast land force; over eighty Harbingers and forty serenity artilleries," answered Ireia. Marxon nodded, made a rough estimation and consulted the data from the quantum network. Meanwhile, Ireia paced eagerly besides him: "We should be heading out now. The others will need our help if we are to crack that UEF shell before they gate off the planet."

"Wait, Ireia," said Marxon while raising a hand. He double checked his data once more before nodding and turning back to the other pilot: "Our current forces will not be enough."

Ireia stopped and frowned: "What do you mean?"

"I have studied the reports from the conflict," said Marxon while forwarding his tactical analysis: "Our main task force has been delayed far too long and the battle is at a stalemate. The UEF has entrenched itself so deeply that any standard force approaching their front line is destroyed before they can do any lasting damage. As we speak, the battle has degenerated into an artillery conflict and it is doubtful that either of our forces could open a breach."

Ireia glowered at him, but Marxon raised his hand: "I have a plan. I will transfer part of my infrastructure to you and we will build some more land units; more specifically a few Sacred Assault Bots. Once the reinforcements arrive, we will combine our assault into successive waves to force the UEF into wasting their nuclear missiles and then we will make a single overwhelming push."

Ireia took a few moments to consider the plan and then nodded. Marxon smiled, typed the necessary security codes and then transferred half of his resource infrastructures to her. They then went to work, building an army that nothing would be able to stop.

**XXXXX**

"How can he keep resisting?" grumbled Abil in frustration. She looked at her tactical screen and grimaced in frustration as her units were destroyed: "This is impossible!"

Abil watched as the next wave of siege assault bots was decimated by the UEF ACU's defenses. Each wave had been greater than the last, but the UEF pilot's defenses had been repaired and improved upon each time. Twice the Harbingers had managed to slip in far enough to strike at the ACU, but the pilot had used his overcharge ability to quickly finish them off before sustaining too much damage. Even now, a scout that passed over the enemy base showed that the damage from the last wave had already been repaired.

Confused, Abil slapped her console and rubbed her temples. There was simply no way that a base with such a minimal economic infrastructure could build defenses as quickly. It was almost as if there was another base somewhere providing it with resources, but that was impossible since nothing had appeared on her radar. If an engineer had tried to slip out then she would have noticed it!

Threat indicators flashed through Abil's cockpit and her eyes widened as multiple enemy signatures appeared south of her position. Before she could do anything about it, over thirty scouts flew over her base in a search pattern. The local anti-air turrets responded and soon the sky was filled with missiles and battery fire. Abil found that she suddenly had difficulty breathing as the full situation hit her: the units had come from the previously destroyed UEF base! Worse still, since she had constantly been on the offensive, her anti-air defenses were minimal.

Abil opened a channel to Ireia just as dozen Broadswords came in range with their plasma cannons firing: "Ireia… I'm sorry."

**XXXXX**

Arnold nearly collapsed in his chair as the Aeon ACU exploded, thinking that the bright light was one of the most beautiful sight that he had seen all day. A second later, Desjar's face appeared on his monitor: "You're one lucky bastard, you know that?"

Nodding slowly, Arnold keyed a self-diagnostic routine and saw that his ACU's hull was barely holding at thirty percent integrity. Sparks flew from a busted monitor, but most of the key systems still worked. Even now, electric currents moved through the hull, weakening it temporarily before remolding it to cover the numerous holes and cracks. Satisfied that he was still alive, he took control of one of the air facilities at his hidden base and ordered the construction of a transport. He also upgraded the local sensor in order to boost it to an Omni sensor.

"So we scored a kill, what now boss?" asked Desjar. Arnold was about to answer that he honestly did not know, but then the Omni sensor came online and he saw the multitude of signals moving north of his base. They were moving away from it and judging by their speed, they were most likely the land units that had laid siege to his original base. Land units that were moving towards the UEF gate nexus… with no air escort. Arnold smiled and took control of every Broadsword and ambassador bombers that were in the air: "Payback time!"

**XXXXX**

"Abil? Abil come in! Little sister respond!" cried Ireia's frantically. The plea caught Marxon by surprise and he brought up his tactical display. Sure enough, Abil was dead and her entire base with her. The one UEF pilot worth fighting… and Marxon had been too far away to take him on. He momentarily cursed himself for not objecting to Ireia's earlier tactics, but it was too late now. There was only one way that a UEF opponent could kill an ACU without any warning so quickly: an air assassination.

"Ireia, send your air force to support our two incoming Commanders," ordered Marxon, wasting no time in protocols. He frowned when the other pilot did not respond: "Ireia, do you read me?"

A look at the other pilot's face confirmed Marxon's fears. Abil's death had greatly shaken Ireia and she was frozen in place with tears running down her face. Marxon grew angry: "Ireia, wake up and send your air force south before we lose another Commander!"

When no response came, Marxon sent his ACU forward and kicked Ireia's down. The collision snapped her out of her stupor and she looked at Marxon angrily, but his gaze was equally furious: "Transfer your air force to me now before you get them killed as well!"

Ireia muttered something, but did as she was told and Marxon sent the air force south as soon as he gained control of it. If micro managed properly then there might still be enough time to save the situation before their entire plan fell apart.

**XXXXX**

The battle was happening too far away for either Arnold or Desjar to see it, but both cheered as the blips that represented their air armada engaged the helpless Aeon ground forces. Eventually, Arnold spotted an ACU and immediately focused on it. A massive explosion quickly followed which unfortunately wiped out part of his air force, but it was worth it. Half of the land army blew up shortly afterwards and Desjar cheered again: "One down, one to go!"

Arnold grinned, but before he could order his ambassadors to attack again, a massive Aeon air force swooped in from the north and destroyed what remained of his army. Slightly disappointed but still hopeful, Arnold reactivated his link to Pollux and smiled as a tactical officer's face appeared on his screen: "Good news, tac ops: we destroyed two enemy ACUs and we're itching for more. Where are we needed?"

There was some cheering in the background and the tactical officer's face lit up: "Commander Arnold, you're alive! We had given you up for dead!"

The tactical officer's face quickly darkened, however, when he next spoke: "Unfortunately I don't think that you can do any more than that. Both UEF and Aeon forces are firmly engaged and the scope of the battle is beyond anything that a lone ACU could change. We estimate that your attack has improved our escape chances by a lot, but there's nothing more that you can do."

Arnold reviewed the global data and sadly agreed. Like it or not, the dices had been thrown and there was nothing more that he could do to help: "Alright then. I'll be sending Desjar back home and I'll be following quickly after that. I'm expecting you guys to pay the first round!"

"That will be a problem, Commander," answered the tactical officer. Arnold's heart skipped a beat, but he then tried to brush the worry aside: "No worries, tac ops. My newly rebuilt gate is charged so I can send Desjar right now and I'll be over twenty minutes later."

The tactical officer was shaking his head before Arnold had even finished: "Commander, our main forces will attempt to gate out in the next five minutes. Whether they succeed or fail, once they are gone, every Aeon unit on the planet will converge on your position."

The tactical officer's face was grave as he next spoke: "I'm sorry, but only one of you can get out of there alive."

**Chapter 10 **

**Sacrifice and Freedom **

"Did you hear what I said, Commander Arnold?" asked the tactical officer, his voice becoming insistent: "You have to gate out of there immediately before you are overwhelmed!"

Arnold snickered and waved it aside: "Just keep your pants on, tac ops. Desjar, I'll need you to leave your SCU and get in here. It'll be a tight fit, but we'll go home in a minute."

The UEF pilot smiled, but the tactical officer was not smiling back and Desjar was shaking his head slowly: "It won't work, old buddy."

Arnold's smile faded and he punched the side of his screen: "Yes it will. Now get your butt in here before I come fetch it myself!"

The tactical officer hesitated for a second before finally revealing the nature of the problem: "Commander… our ACUs go through a lockdown mode whenever they are attacked. Your cockpit will be sealed for the next fifteen minutes."

Arnold's eyes widened as he suddenly remembered the protocol. It was a psychological safety measure to prevent a pilot from ditching his ACU and try to make a run for it on foot or surrender. The options were ludicrous since neither Aeon nor Cybran pilots took prisoners and an ACU explosion would kill anyone on foot, but cutting off the possibility prevented the pilot from even thinking about it.

This was bad and Arnold's eyes darted around frantically as he searched for another solution: "Tac ops, can't you override the constraint remotely? There's nothing attacking me right now and it's the only way to save both pilots! To hell with that protocol and let's…"

The tactical officer was shaking his head even before Arnold finished the question: "The constraint is hardcoded. I'm sorry sir, but all the data that we have here shows that only one of you can make it back and since you're piloting the ACU then you have priority. The odds of both of you escaping are so small that…"

"I don't care about damned odds, tac ops!" interrupted Arnold angrily: "You are supposed to be working for me and I'm ordering you to find a way to get us both out of here. Do you hear me?"

The tactical officer was about to object, but this time it was Desjar that interrupted him: "Let me handle this… Commander… Zach... it's time for you to go."

When Arnold's ACU did not move, Desjar ran towards it and slammed it towards the quantum gate: "I'm telling you to go!"

Arnold was shocked, but there was no denying the angry look that Desjar was giving him: "Don't you dare hesitate because you summoned me here. You did not start the war and I joined the UEF on my own. I knew what I was getting myself into and I knew that I would die one day or another, so go!"

"We've lost the battle here, Arnold!" insisted Desjar before Arnold could object: "The Aeon will be striking back in UEF territory as soon as we're off planet. You're the best pilot and you're in the ACU so it's not a choice; you're heading back and you'll have to stop them. Don't you dare think that you're sacrificing me. If you don't go then you'll be turning your back on the thousands that will die without you!"

Arnold closed his eyes as his hands moved over the controls: "I'm sorry…"

The SCU pilot's eyes softened: "I know… now go!"

Desjar tried to push the ACU forward again, but nothing happened when he touched his controls. Instead, his SCU started moving towards the quantum gate. Desjar struggled with the machine, but nothing was responding anymore: "What the hell?"

"I'm sorry," repeated Arnold softly. Desjar's eyes widened when he realized that Arnold had taken manual control of his SCU; another precaution in case that an SCU pilot was incapacitated. The SCU pilot started screaming for tac ops to do something about it, but Arnold cut him off: "He can't stop me, lube boy; that part is hardcoded as well. I know what you're both saying; that statistically there is no way for me to hold off an entire planet for twenty minutes. But here's something else that you should both know about…"

Both the tactical officer and Desjar stood silent as Arnold fetched a locket from under his shirt and opened it for both of them to see: "She was called Lin Pham. They told her that she had less than six months, but she kept fighting for four years. She never gave up…"

With that, Arnold pressed a series of buttons to activate the quantum gate and watched as the SCU stepped through it. There was a bright flash before the SCU disappeared and then the gate shut down, unable to refocus its energies for the next twenty minutes. Arnold took a deep breath before looking back towards the horizon: "She never gave up… and neither will I."

**XXXXX**

Dostya felt something brush her forehead and she groaned. She dimly heard someone say: "Your hair is growing back, that's good."

"Mather?" asked Dostya groggily. She opened her eyes, but it was not Mather that was standing beside her but Ell, the chief medical officer that had first welcomed her on Minerva. Ell smiled and kept brushing her forehead with a sponge: "No, I'm afraid that he's gone for now. He did bring you to the infirmary and stood by you for quite some time before I sent him off. He seemed quite concerned about you."

Dostya blushed slightly, but if she saw it then Ell did not comment. Why was the thought of Mather worrying about her so… confusing? Turning back to more practical matters, Dostya moved a bit, testing the limits of her injuries. Her side still hurt, but aside from that - and the multitude of bruises - all she felt was a dull headache. Ell helped her sit in her bed and started examining her.

"Guess I should wait a few more days before leaving the infirmary, huh?" said Dostya with a halfhearted chuckle. Ell finished her examination and smiled: "Actually, if you're feeling up to it then there's someone important that would like to meet you."

**XXXXX**

Arnold sat in his cockpit with most of his monitors shut down. He had shut down his quantum link and turned off most of his non-essential systems. Factories around the ACU busied themselves by producing units while engineers moved through the base to bolster its defenses. At the moment, he did not really care about any of that since his gaze was fixed on the locket in his hand: "This might be it Lin; this might be the day where I come back to you. I know that you've been waiting for a while now…"

Arnold had not bothered to double check the data that tac ops had forwarded him nor did he feel inclined to do it. He knew that sending multiple units in quick succession through the same area without a gate complex was nearly impossible. The quantum wave from the transfer prevented travel for a short time unless a substantial amount of energy from a gate complex was used to contain it.

The symbionts working in the tactical center had probably calculated every possible power distribution and Arnold doubted that he could find a flaw in their reasoning. He could build a gate elsewhere of course, but it would be defenseless and the Aeon would be there before it was fully charged. Using his personal teleportation upgrade to reach the UEF gate complex was not an option either; he would not be able to bring his forces to the battle and he seriously doubted that it would hold long enough for every ACU to escape. What he needed was another fully charged gate…

Arnold's eyes light up suddenly and he smiled at the locket: "I'll be with you soon, but maybe not yet."

**XXXXX**

The vehicle moved through the streets of Node Fifty-Six, its three sets of independent wheels compensating for the bumps in the road. Ell drove out of the city and towards another small settlement that was visible roughly two kilometers away. Even at this distance, Dostya could see the energy shields and was about to ask what they were protecting when Ell stopped the car.

"Why are you stopping?" asked Dostya in confusion. Ell pointed at an open spot on the plain ahead of them: "I think he's right there…"

As if on cue, bolts of lightning danced behind their vehicle and Ell slammed her hand in annoyance on the steering wheel just as the ACU appeared: "Wrong again, Ell."

Dostya did not recognize the voice, but apparently Ell did: "Show off! You left those tracks ahead on purpose, didn't you? Well anyway… Ivanna Dostya is here to see him. Are we clear?"

There was a brief pause before the ACU pilot answered back: "You're clear. See you next time, Ell!"

With that, the ACU disappeared and moved away, the only indication of its presence being the small clouds of dust rising from the ground. Ell snorted and drove towards the facility again. Dostya glanced at the spot where the ACU had been standing and then back at the base before asking: "Who is so important to have a fully upgraded ACU patrolling outside the base and yet only have a couple of shields to defend the facility?"

Ell shrugged as she drove towards the facility: "Keith tried to explain it to me once; something about hiding in plain sight and that putting a field of turrets was the equivalent of painting a bull's-eye on it. As for who well… you'll meet him soon enough. Just don't be troubled if he trails off a bit. He's a great man, but he thinks a little sideways, that's all."

They reached the facility before Dostya could ask Ell to clarify and the shields deactivated for a few seconds to let them pass. Ell stopped the car in front of a large building and cut off the engine: "This is your stop. I'll be waiting here when you come back."

Dostya hesitated a moment and then shrugged: "It can't be worse than Bagby."

She entered the building and a small red light immediately appeared on the wall to her right. It moved ahead as if to guide her and Dostya obliged, following it through a maze of corridors and two elevators.

A few minutes later, she reached a room in the center of the complex where a variety of scientific equipment littered the area. Most of these appeared to be automated and Dostya marveled at the collection of lasers, computer screens and diagnostic devices. Her gaze suddenly fell on a huge container at the rear of the room. Upon closer inspection, she could see that there was some kind of cybernetically enhanced brain floating in it and the sight sent some chills down her spine.

"Ah, good evening my dear and thank you for coming," said someone behind Dostya. The voice startled her and she whirled around to see a holographic projection standing in the middle of the room. The projection was that of a man that might be in his sixties with thinning hair and a small mustache. His clothes looked as if they dated from a few centuries ago and the whole setup might have looked comical, but there was something in the way that the projection moved and the look in his eyes… something that Dostya could not place her finger on, but that emitted genuine human warmth.

"You'll have to forgive my sudden if somewhat unorthodox appearance and the fact that I cannot shake your hand," said the hologram with a smile: "Nevertheless, let me introduce myself: I am Doctor Gustaf Brackman and it is a pleasure to meet you, Ivanna Dostya."

Dostya recovered quickly and smiled: "A pleasure to meet you as well… I suppose that you are here as a holographic projection for security reasons?"

"Well I am here as much as I can be," said the Doctor with a shrug. He paused then, his gaze going inward as he tried to clarify: "Or should I say that all that is left of me is here? It can sometimes be puzzling to refer to myself when all that is left of me is this."

With that, the hologram motioned towards the brain that was floating behind Dostya and she gasped. Besides her stood the only human – if one could call it that – that had been there since the beginning of the Infinite War; one of the most wanted men in the galaxy and the sworn enemy of the UEF. The hologram smiled then, apparently amused: "You seem pale, my dear. Are you all right?"

Dostya had to shake her head just to clear it: "Yes I'm… it's just that when I was still on Earth, you were always displayed as something more threatening and more… well… more."

That answer seemed to surprise the doctor and he started laughing: "Are they still displaying that video footage from the original rebellion over a thousand years ago? To tell you the truth, the security uniform that I was wearing back in those days was a tad too large for me and I was never comfortable in it. It is an amazing human trait that sometimes the mind hangs on specific images even when they do not represent reality. Like a child remembering his cat years later when it accidentally fell in the pool."

Dostya shook her head slightly, trying to remember exactly how the conversation had switched to fashion and cats. Brackman noticed this and waved a hand: "Forgive me; I do ramble. Come my dear, come. There is something that I must show you."

The hologram led Dostya to the other side of the room where seven holographic screens covered the walls. A larger screen in the center had a series of half circles moving around in a weird pattern that felt as if it was some kind of pulsating eye. Dostya studied the screens a moment and realized that they were showing a great battle on Orionis. Doctor Brackman let her study them for a moment before speaking: "The reason that I have called you here today is that I want to help you understand why we – the Cybrans that is – are here."

"You mean why the war started?" clarified Dostya. The Doctor shook his head while waving his hands in the air: "Oh dear god no. The interpretation of the past is very subjective and one should look only so far back for answers. Knowing history helps define us while gaining a greater understanding of ourselves, but it should not dictate present and future courses of action. The sheer numbers of wars that could have been avoided had humanity accepted to forgive or forget the past…"

Brackman turned to Dostya, but he could tell that she remained unconvinced. The Doctor considered this for a moment before nodding: "I can tell you how it started if it will ease your mind, but I fear that the tale is mostly a testament of human foolishness. Bear in mind that I will describe events as I have lived them and not in the same way as history books."

Dostya nodded in understanding and Doctor Brackman started his tale: "As you know, humanity eventually discovered the principle of quantum travel and started to colonize the galaxy. Unfortunately, they began to spread at a faster rate than technology could keep up. The Earth Empire could no longer manage the colonies and mistakes after mistakes were made. If things did not change then many colonies would have declared independence and analysts predicted that war would follow in the next decade."

"The Earth Empire was desperate" emphasized Brackman with a vigorous nod: "And they funded my research in the hope that I would find a solution. The problems were too many to list: mistakes in shipments, misallocation of resources, failing communications, social factors and more."

The Doctor shook his head as though he had only scratched the tip of the iceberg: "Taken individually, each problem could be solved, but each would reappear in time as humanity continued to spread. Designing a system to compensate for all these problems would have been impossible, even for me, so instead I worked on my AI twinning process in the hope that if I could not find a solution then my symbionts would. The process worked, but then the Earth Empire forced me into adding a failsafe: the loyalty program."

The doctor's eyes closed as if the memory itself was painful: "The Earth Empire was near collapse, billions of lives were at stake… I agreed. Had I known what would have followed..."

The Doctor opened his eyes again: "The program was started and opened to the general public. Candidates volunteered from across the system with the promise of greater efficiency and better jobs once upgraded. Soon, symbionts started compensating for life's little problems, finding solutions and improving communications on a galactic scale. Tensions diminished and the threat of war passed. Humanity entered a new golden age."

Doctor Brackman paused and looked at Dostya straight in the eyes: "Now this is the part where the history books differ. The UEF portrays what followed as symbionts growing tired of their 'inferior' kin and wanting to declare independence, leaving the rest of humanity in the dark ages, but nothing could be further from the truth. We were in a golden age, yes, but merely because symbionts were compensating for faulty systems and we were reviled for it. The very foundations upon which the Earth Empire rested was not meant for a system on a galactic scale and we could clearly see that the cataclysm that had just been avoided would return if humanity kept spreading."

Dostya remembered her days when her loyalty program had been activate and how inefficient the UEF systems had been. She also remembered the scornful and envious glares that some of the technicians had thrown her way and she found that she could easily believe what Brackman was saying.

"The crisis had been averted, but the root problem remained," said Doctor Brackman, his tone growing sterner: "Every symbiont knew it and we tried to find a solution, but that meant creating an entirely new system. We could not do so within the confines of the Earth Empire's protocols and so we petitioned for independence. We would create a new system and when it was perfected, we would help all humanity erect a new foundation. The rest, as they say, is history: the Earth Empire activated the loyalty program and I fled with my closest Symbiont to create the Cybran Nation. With their creativity gone and their movements restricted, the symbionts could no longer fulfill their tasks as well as they could. The old problems reappeared and eventually the Earth Empire collapsed… and the UEF emerged from the ashes."

Doctor Brackman turned to Dostya and she nodded: "I can easily believe that and I can understand why we need to fight because of what they did to us."

The hologram raised both arms to stop her, his gaze desperate: "No, no, no, that is not a reason to fight! There is nothing down that road but lies and illusions!"

Seeing that he had completely confused her, the Doctor took a softer tone: "Every conflict, every war, every piece of the past can be used to feed a conflict. Every human that dies was someone's child, belonged to a community and most had someone that loved them at one point or another. The majority of those that fight believe that they are fighting for the right reasons, but they still do horrible deeds in the process. Cybrans are no exception and many mistakes were made through the Infinite War."

The Doctor paused in order to put more emphasis on his next words: "So you must not go to war over what 'was' but over what 'is'. What 'is' happening right now is that symbionts all over the galaxy are being denied their most fundamental right: freedom… and that is the only thing worth fighting for."

While she was still new to the Infinite War, Dostya had read her share of history books and she could not understand what the Doctor was trying to get at: "I don't understand, Doctor. There have been wars over freedom before."

Brackman smiled sadly while shaking his head: "Not like this. Freedom is composed of two simple things; the right to exist and the right to choose. You cannot be free if you do not exist of course, but what is not obvious is that in every other conflict in Earth's history, there was a choice. Slaves in Earth's past were subdued by lashes, chains and most importantly fear, but they always had a choice to fight back and revolts did occur. Losing one's life could be a consequence of that choice, but they still had the freedom to do so."

"A choice does not mean that it will have the desired effect," clarified the Doctor quickly before Dostya could object: "But what is important is that you had the option to make it. You can try to oppose a river with no effect by standing in the middle of it, but it was your choice to do so. It might take years of shuffling dirt with one's bare hands to affect a river, but in time, it or any system can be affected."

The hologram of the Doctor took a deep breath before continuing: "Cybrans come from a multitude of cultures and environments with each having their own values. If you take Node Fifty-Six, for example, then it is far more structured than the Red Skull Node. Because of our differences, we cannot fight in the name of honor, justice, faith or a way of life… but we can fight the Aeon for our right to exist and the UEF for enslaving us through the loyalty program. We can stand united and fight for our freedom."

There was a long pause as Dostya tried to understand the profound meaning behind those words. She had considered fighting for all the other symbionts that were under the loyalty program, but part of her also wanted to fight for her family; for the chance to free them from the UEF lies and to see them again. She finally looked up: "Why are you telling me this?"

"I have been watching you closely for the past few days, Ivanna Dostya," admitted the Doctor: "I admire your spirit and your will to fight and I see in you the promise of a strong commander. But to be a great commander, one must do more than fight for temporary illusions of belonging or for memories of the past. One must live in the moment and believe in something greater than oneself so that others can follow."

The doctor's eyes darkened suddenly: "Because as you fight, the consequences of your choices – most of which are compounded in human lives – start piling up on your shoulders. One needs a strong belief to keep fighting under such conditions and not an illusion fed by propaganda. Should the foundation upon which you stand break then you and everyone that follows will be lost."

**XXXXX**

The reactor screeched so loudly that Arnold used his left hand to plug an ear while trying to compensate with his right one. Using a personal teleporter was usually not a good idea under normal circumstances, never mind when an ACU had sustained so much damage. It also did not help that the location was outside of sensor range or that he had no updated information about the area and that it was in the middle of an Aeon base either.

The target was the settlement that Arnold had first attacked; the one where he had failed to destroy the quantum gate. The plan was simple if not completely suicidal. He would make a coordinated attack with all of his forces on hand, teleport under their shields, destroy the generators and then kill the two SCUs that had been guarding the area. A chuckle escaped Arnold as he shrugged: "Who knows, maybe if I'm lucky they will be gone!"

The reactor stuttered for a moment and somehow, the sound made Arnold laugh: "Yeah, like I could ever be that lucky."

The countdown appeared on his screen and Arnold unconsciously took a hold of his locket as the seconds ticked by. His gaze kept shifting between the timer and the screen which showed the few Broadswords closing in on the base followed by two transports with Titans. Five… four…

Vibrations shook the entire ACU and Arnold could feel it all the way to his teeth. It became so bad that he could no longer manually adjust the energy flow. Three…

The image flickered erratically on his main screen. Two…

Every light in the cockpit dimmed. One…

Everything stopped. For a split second, Arnold thought that the teleportation module had failed and that his engines were about to go critical. Then, a brilliant light filled the entire cockpit and washed over him.

Arnold hated any form of teleportation, but that specific jump felt like someone had pulled him through a hole by dragging his innards. The shock was so strong that he puked as soon as the lights dimmed, barely avoiding his controls. The ACU's motions as it obeyed its queued attack commands were not helping and it took Arnold a good seven seconds before he could get his guts under control again. Once that was done he struggled to recalibrate his main monitor: "Guess I'm still alive..."

The first screen that light up was the tactical display and Arnold was greeted to the sight of his own units destroying the leftover defenses. Nothing had been rebuilt since the last attacked and only a few anti-air turrets remained. Even though he could not see it, Arnold heard his construction laser power up which clearly indicated that the ACU was carrying out its capture order. Soon, the quantum gate would be his and he would be of the planet!

"I did it… Hell yes, I did it! I…" Arnold's main screen powered up to expose the battlefield and the words caught in his throat. Instead of standing in the middle of an abandoned Aeon military base, he was standing in the middle of a destroyed settlement. Titans moved around him, destroying civilian vehicles that had been waiting near the gate while Broadswords tore down buildings that had been hiding under the shield.

Arnold's fingers flew over the controls to stop the attack orders and switch each unit to a hold fire mode. It was far too late however: his original attack had killed thousands without him realizing it… and his sudden arrival had just finished the job.

**XXXXX**

Dostya finally began to understand what she saw in Doctor Brackman's eyes. It was the accumulation of compassion and pain from over a millennia of conflict mixed with the firm belief that what he was fighting for was worth it. Suddenly, the concept of the thin old man with outdated clothes vanished from her mind. The man that stood before her – and he was still a man despite the technological limitations – had weathered more conflict than any human was ever meant to. Where others would have broken down and allowed themselves to die, Doctor Brackman stood with a firm belief in what he was doing.

"Now you understand, Ivanna Dostya," said the Doctor with a nod: "I will not stop until my children are free. That is why I cannot rest, why I cannot forget… and why I can still stand after being responsible – directly or not - for so many deaths."

Dostya understood then and turned towards the screen where the battle of Orionis was displayed: "And this?"

"Those are the consequences of my latest choice," said the Doctor, a note of regret slipping into his voice: "And I must hope that I have anticipated all of them."

Dostya looked at the screen with a puzzled expression as he explained: "My orders killed half of a commando team on Earth and twelve symbionts. They also freed you and eight symbionts while straining the friendship between Mather and Keith. And on Orionis… my choice of warning the Aeon Illuminate might have saved thousands of them while condemning ten time that number of UEF citizens when they will strike back. That is the price of a choice in war."

Before them, thousands of green and blue colored dots burst into action. The battle had begun.

**XXXXX**

"Attack," said Marxon. His order was simple and yet thousands of units controlled by over twenty Aeon ACUs responded by moving forward. Waves of Auroras and flares were sent first to draw enemy fire and were followed by over eight widely spaced galactic colossus. As the giants walked forward; swarms of Harbingers moved between their legs to replace the decoys that were quickly falling. Fighters and bombers danced overhead while artilleries exchanged fire across the battlefield.

When the battle was firmly engaged, Marxon stepped forward with Pao and Lani close by. Each of them was upgraded with engineering modules and wherever they walked a new piece of artillery or a missile launcher was quickly built. Whenever they were attacked, one of the SCU would quickly build and support a stationary shield while the other would build the proper counter measure: an anti-air or point defense turrets. A few other Aeon commanders tried to do the same, but none could match the effortless grace that Marxon and his team could.

On the front line, Titans were desperately trying to keep the waves of Harbingers off their Fatboys while Broadswords provided whatever support fire they could before being shot out of the sky. Through it all, the UEF was trying to evacuate; transferring the assets from one commander to another before letting him step through the gate complex. Each Commander that left meant that the maximum amount of UEF units diminished while the Aeon could keep replacing those that they lost.

Of the eight Galactic Colossuses, three reached the UEF front line and there they simply walked through, drawing units into their tractor claws, crushing them and then discarding them like children's toys. Phason lasers sliced through shield generators and opened the way for the next wave of Harbingers. When they reached a Fatboy, they jumped on it like maddened insects, tearing its turrets and digging with their lasers until the UEF experimental weapon exploded.

In the span of a few minutes, the UEF had lost. Of the ten remaining commanders, only five managed to escape through the gate complex before it was destroyed.

**XXXXX**

The shock was so much that Arnold could no longer monitor his progress as he slowly captured the quantum gate. Sensors indicated that it was sufficiently charged to allow him to get back to Pollux, but at the moment, he did not care. All that he saw was the piles of bodies that had been neatly arranged for transport and the blood that covered the streets.

Suddenly, his motion sensors focused on a lone form that was struggling out of a destroyed civilian vehicle. She was young; maybe no more than ten years old. Thermal sensors showed that there were four other cold bodies in the vehicle which were most likely members of her family. Arnold could not move his ACU while it was capturing the Aeon quantum gate… he could only watch.

Once she was out of the vehicle, she tried to grab at whoever was inside, but despite all of her efforts, no one else came out. Although he could not hear it from inside the ACU, Arnold saw her wail in anguish at the sky… and then she looked at him. The little girl reached inside the transport again and this time she pulled something out: a small hand blaster.

Some surprisingly well aimed shots hit the ACU's head, a few even glancing off the optical sensors. For all of her efforts, however, the weapon was as insignificant against an ACU as a handful of thrown rocks would be. Deep inside the cockpit, Arnold could imagine each shot tearing through him even though they barely sounded like a weak thud from the inside.

A green light appeared on his screen, indicating that the gate was captured and that the way home was opened. There was a long moment of hesitation before the ACU stepped inside the quantum gate, leaving the small girl behind.

**Epilogue **

A few days later,

The training command unit moved on the field with slow measured steps. This was the first training session since Dostya's recovery and Mather's ACU was not far ahead with its back turned to her. She stepped right beside it and looked in the same direction: towards Minerva's rising sun.

There was a long pause before Mather spoke: "You talked to Doctor Brackman."

It was a statement and not a question. Mather let the declaration hang in the air for a moment before adding: "I spoke to him four years ago in circumstances that were not… well not unlike as your own. His words stopped me from going on a quest for revenge and they stopped me from making a very foolish incursion on Orionis while you were in the infirmary."

Dostya nodded slowly, still looking at the rising sun: "Yeah, he's good at doing that."

"I don't think that I'm as strong as he is," said Mather with a shrug: "Heck, I doubt that anyone is, but before we continue training I need to know if you really believe in what we're doing; if you can keep fighting without Doctor Brackman, Ell, Keith and even without me."

Dostya knew what he was asking and it surprised her that she had grown attached to all of them so quickly. She would always care about her family back on Earth, but seeing them again was no longer her first priority. This war would end… and then Cybrans everywhere would be free.

**XXXXX**

"Happy Birthday Lin," whispered Arnold softly. He placed the bouquet of flowers on the tombstone and murmured words that were meant only for her. Desjar stood behind him unmoving until he was finished. A few minutes later, the two friends walked out of the cemetery.

"So… she's the reason that you joined as a UEF pilot?" asked Desjar carefully. Arnold nodded and wiped a tear from his right eye: "She helped me when I needed it the most. She believed in me when everyone else saw a good for nothing bum. She was diagnosed with a terminal cancer and should have been dead in six months. She fought on for four years."

"She must have been one heck of a woman," said Desjar. Arnold nodded: "Instead of falling into despair, we married as soon as it was diagnosed. Despite the hardships, those were the best four years of my life."

Arnold stopped in his tracks and looked at his old friend: "You wanted to know why I'm fighting? I'm not doing it for fame, guns, glory or for any of that propaganda crap that they keep feeding us. Wars are messed up, ugly and sometimes… good people get caught in the crossfire…"

He paused, painful memories resurfacing: "But I'm still doing it for her. She believed in me and in all of us no matter how sick she got. I'll fight for her memory… and for every other person like her out there that never gives up. If in the end if I only save one that had a tenth of her spirit then it will be worth it."

Arnold could not speak anymore and he started walking again. Desjar waited a second longer before following. It was time to return to the front.

**XXXXX**

"The members of the military have discussed the issue extensively and we are in agreement," said the Aeon representative, his voice rising as he did so: "We would like that the position of Avatar-of-War be reinstated and for us to begin nominating candidates immediately."

Marxon sat at the council with Pao and Lani behind him. He listened with his arms crossed as the appointed military speaker listed the suggested names. Pao and Lani tensed in barely contained joy when the speaker nominated the first candidate: "For his flawless performance during his career and his recent exploits during the battle of Orionis, Jaran Marxon."

Marxon saw Evaluator Toth's eyes flash from across the room and he had to admit that he felt some satisfaction out of it. The list went on, but he knew that he was the most likely candidate. The spiritual wing might have tried to stop him, but he had personally killed five UEF ACUs in the recent battle and only a handful of Commanders had ever managed to pull that off. Toth could not touch him, not with such a victory record and never again once he became Avatar-or-War.

A secret smile touched the corner of his lips as he considered how it had been possible. Unknown to anyone, Marxon had received an encoded message detailing where and when the UEF would attack. He could have the message signature analyzed to find out who had sent it, but there was no point to it now. The information had been what had allowed him to kill the first four ACUs. Without it, Toth would have probably been in a position to object to his candidature at the moment.

Marxon knew that Cybrans had most likely transmitted the message and possibly Doctor Brackman himself. The UEF had launched an attack on two fronts, but by warning the Aeon and by evacuating their own planet, the Cybrans had killed two birds with one stone. The swift defeat on Orionis had forced the UEF to pull their forces out of Cybran territory to defend their vulnerable worlds. What the Cybrans had not foreseen, however, was that it had played right into Marxon's hands.

Plans were already in motion to ensure that his candidature would be the only one worth considering. After the battle, they had learned that the last UEF pilot had escaped by attacking a civilian settlement. There, Marxon had found a little girl named Ariel: his new apprentice. He had seen the fire in her eyes and her thirst for revenge. His stature would grow by taking her under his wing; a compassionate Commander taking care of a child of war... and in time he would also gain a valuable asset.

Yes, he would do it. Soon he would become the new Avatar-of-War and lead the Aeon Illuminate to victory against the UEF and the Cybrans… and the galaxy would be cleansed once and for all.


	2. Book 2: Rise of the Aeon

**Rise of the Aeon **

Created by Philippe Painchaud (Dotswarlock)

Based upon the game "Supreme Commander"

**Chapter 1 **

**Motivation **

Year 3827, seventeen years before the final battle on Earth,

The mechanical engineer moved lazily through the field in search of a target. It stopped abruptly, its sensors having picked up a signature that had enough mass to be worth reclaiming. The engineer extended its construction arms and blue lasers shot forth, disassembling the destroyed vehicle layer by layer. The roof disappeared first, its light armored hull barely able to resist for a few seconds before disintegrating.

Towering over the engineer and the light vehicle was a UEF ACU, its optical sensors focused not on what the engineer was doing or on the recovered mass… but rather on the four charred bodies inside of the vehicle. Colonel Zachary Arnold watched as the lasers consumed them as well, erasing the signs of the massacre that had taken place two days ago. There was no time for a funeral or an autopsies and having an engineer disassemble the bodies to identify them was still the most efficient way to proceed. But to any ACU pilot, the spectacle of a group of engineers recycling an entire settlement was no different than watching crows pick off the dead.

Arnold clenched his teeth, the sight of so many bodies bringing back memories of Orionis. Three years ago, he had accidentally wiped out an Aeon settlement in a desperate gambit to draw the Aeon away from fleeing UEF forces. The fact that it had been an accident was no excuse… but the torn UEF settlement in front of him was no accident.

The Aeon usually gave them only one choice: to accept The Way or be cleansed. To them, there was apparently no distinction between civilian and military. Sometimes, the choice was offered more than once especially when a civilian UEF settlement was about to be defeated. This time, however, there had been no ultimatum; they had appeared and brutally butchered everyone before leaving. There had been no time to mount a rescue operation or a counterattack.

"You okay, boss?" said a familiar voice. An SCU moved right besides Arnold and looked at the spectacle. Arnold shook his head to clear it and looked at Desjar's face on his right monitor: "They never stood a chance. There were no ACUs in the area or any possibility to have one gate over for two hours; only basic automated defenses that could barely stop a siege bot… and they were massacred for it."

"Don't worry," said Desjar, his gaze reflecting grim determination: "We'll get them back and if anything then it proves that maybe what happened on Orionis…"

Arnold's eyes flared for a moment and he snarled: "Could you stop bringing that up? I'm over it already, ok? Besides, this is not what I was getting at."

Desjar was momentarily stunned, but shrugged. He was used to Arnold's outburst after nearly four years of teamwork: "Then what?"

"They did not offer them a chance to surrender nor have they offered it to anyone in our sector for the past six months," explained Arnold. The pilot brought up his tactical display and scanned for Aeon signatures: "If I did not know any better, I'd say that they're switching management… and whoever's in charge is one heck of a cold blooded bastard."

**XXXXX**

How to stop him? That was the question that went through evaluator Toth's mind over and over again. Three years ago, the council had voted to reinstate the position of Avatar-of-War in large part due to Marxon's involvement. Aeon commanders from across the system had been selected as possible candidates and for three years, they had been tested on the battlefield and by their peers.

If the position of Avatar-of-War was just about the number of victories then Toth might have found a way to tip the scale towards someone else. The problem was that one needed a lot more than merely military tactics to ascend this high. It required a high amount of charisma, support and a profound understanding of The Way. There was also no way to distinguish between understanding the written words of the Way… and its deeper meaning.

Having originally been a priest under Toth's tutelage, Marxon's knowledge of The Way was nearly without peers. Instead of using it to bring peace and harmony, he used the loop holes to justify his actions and to offer the officers under his command the one thing that they craved the most: forgiveness.

Toth was not blind; she understood very well the contradiction in spreading a doctrine of universal love while fighting a war. Aeon commanders routinely had moral dilemmas and often sought counseling to restore harmony. The strain of such an emotional conflict could not be understated yet what Marxon could not accept was that it was also necessary. One needed to keep in mind that the war was ugly and hateful in order to be able to stop it. Without guilt and remorse, the war would never stop… and The Way would become a twisted mockery of what it was meant to be.

A green sphere on the door leading to her chamber lit up, indicating that someone was waiting outside. Toth smiled and pushed her worries aside: "Enter."

The door opened and a small ten year old girl entered the room. Yes, there was still hope…

**XXXXX**

For a moment, nothing but a few rats stirred in the sewers beneath the main settlement of Theban Two. Then, a flash pierced one of the conduits and slowly drew a circle. When it was completed, a heavy metal plate fell to the ground and a humanoid shape jumped through. Keith, one of the elite commandos of the Cybran nation, scanned the area before motioning for his troopers to follow.

"Rats… always rats… can't the UEF manage to create a single settlement without an infestation?" complained Sjet in annoyance. Keith shrugged and motioned for the other commando to take his position: "Look on the bright side; if they can't get rid of vermin then how could they get rid of us?"

Sjet chuckled as they started moving down the tunnel. The commandos had a specific mission: to gather the latest UEF scanning algorithms from one of their sleeper agents.

Although Cybran stealth technology was incredibly versatile, it required constant black ops missions in order to be up to date. It was just fortunate that the Aeon were not modifying their sensor algorithms as often as the UEF: Keith just hated going into Aeon territory even if their sewage systems were a lot cleaner.

A hand signal from further down the corridor drew Keith's attention and the elite commando motioned for Sjet to cover them as he made his way to Queren: "What is it?"

Instead of speaking, Queren pointed to the corpse of a dead rat. It was fresh, no more than an hour dead judging by the fact that nothing had tried to eat it yet. What caught Keith's eye, however, was the way that it had died: it had been sliced cleanly in half with a blade that had cauterized the wound.

Keith only knew of one type of weapon that could do that; a plasma blade. A shudder coursed through his spine as understood what it meant: "We're not alone."

Something shifted above them and the commandos looked up with weapons ready. They found four shadowy figures with laser rifles trained on them: "It took you long enough to figure it out."

For a moment, neither group moved; each ready to fire. Keith broke the moment of tension first by slowly and deliberately lowering his laser rifle: "Pretty sloppy to leave tracks like that. I take it that you're from the Assumpta node? It's been a while since I saw the damage from a plasma blade."

"I am Redfog," came the answer, echoing ominously through the room.

Keith felt a chill run down his spine. Redfog was not just a name: it was a designation, a title, a myth and a state of being all at once… and it was earned through spilled blood. The commando slowly looked to his left and noticed the speaker who had been hiding at a completely unexpected angle with a laser rifle aimed at his head.

Keith gulped as he tried to ease the tension in the air: "Look… I was just kidding and meant no disrespect. Of course the rat's corpse would be eaten by its kind and erase all tracks. Now if you don't mind, we'll be getting back to our mission now."

The shadowy figure known as Redfog kept his blaster trained on Keith as he jumped down from his perch: "Stealing the sensor algorithms? Don't bother, we have them."

Redfog brought up a disk with his free hand and twirled it once before returning it to some hidden compartment. Keith raised an eyebrow: "You know; we're usually the ones responsible for raiding Theban Two. We would have transmitted the information to the Assumpta afterwards."

"Not quickly enough," observed Redfog dryly.

Keith cringed, but he was not in a position to negotiate since they had the numbers and the high ground. The suspense lasted a few seconds longer before Redfog spoke again: "Tell Mather to meet me at the Crescent Moon in three hours. He will know where it is. Once he hears me out then I'll hand over a copy of the data."

With that, the shadowy figure lowered his blaster and so did his men. Keith heaved a sigh of relief as they all jumped down and moved towards another corridor. He was about to order his men when Redfog's voice echoed through the corridor: "You should also know that our explosives will detonate in eight minutes. I suggest that you leave quickly."

**XXXXX**

The signal from a beacon appeared on Dostya's screen and she frowned. She quickly pressed a few keys and a small direct communication laser shot out from the shoulder of her cloaked SCU and hit another spot seven hundred meters ahead of her: "Keith is on his way, but he's four minutes early."

"I know; I see his transport moving towards us," answered the other pilot with a note of concern in his voice: "Ready the quantum gates, we might have to bust out of here in a hurry."

Mather's voice was even and controlled, but Dostya knew he was worried. Three years of fighting by his side allowed her to easily pick up his subtle change of moods. Keith had either been detected or the sleeper agent that was supposed to hand them the algorithms had been caught. Either possibility meant that a group of UEF ACUs could be searching for them at this very moment.

"Ah hell no…" muttered Mather, but before Dostya could ask him what was going on, an image was forwarded on her left screen. It showed a series of explosions in the UEF settlement mainly centered on the barracks. Cursing under his breath, Mather terminated their radio silence and opened a channel to the incoming transport: "What happened?"

"Redfog beat us to it; he'll be waiting for you at the Crescent Moon," answered Keith angrily. There was a long moment of silence before Mather responded: "Everyone get to the gates, we're leaving."

**XXXXX**

The quantum gate powered down and its dome opened. The Aeon ACU that had just been transported walked out carefully and headed towards its alcove. There it knelt down, displaying a level of motor control and flexibility that neither it's UEF or Cybran counterpart could ever hope to manage. Liquid metal pooled at its feet and the platform on which the ACU was standing sank down at a constant rate.

Soon the liquid metal covered the ACU completely and its reflective surface grew still. A few seconds later, an armored figure broke the surface and floated up, carried by energy fields. He levitated towards a nearby ramp where five acolytes waited with bowed heads. They went to work once the pilot touched the surface, reverently removing his helmet, gloves and boots while others readied his spider silk robes.

The ritual of rebirth was designed to welcome the pilot home and help him restore harmony after many long hours of battles. To Marxon, the ceremony had lost its touch years ago and he merely saw his heavy armor being removed while his ACU was stored for maintenance. He would much prefer to remove his armor himself, but if he was ever to become Avatar-of-War then he also had to act the part.

The gate behind him flashed again and Marxon knew that Lani had just gated in and that Pao would not be far behind. He turned towards the lead acolyte: "Please take special care of Lani and Pao. Their efforts were substantial today and I want their return to harmony to be as smooth as possible."

The lead acolyte bowed deeply in acknowledgement and Marxon nodded his thanks. Every Aeon pilot out there fought valiantly of course, but anyone under Marxon's command was given strict orders under harsh conditions. As such, he made sure that any competent officer under him was rewarded appropriately. It usually did not take much, but paying constant attention to his allies had allowed Marxon to earn their loyalty if not their outright devotion. They would fight, kill, cleanse and even die for him… and he expected nothing less.

The aspiring Avatar-of-War made his way towards his quarters and there he found his apprentice going through a battle routine with training weights strapped to her body. He stood there a moment in silence while observing her. Although she was only fourteen years old, Ariel's small body was already well muscled and her blows were quick and precise. Some of her movements were rash, however, betraying an anger that burned deeply within her ever since her family had been killed in a UEF raid.

Marxon waited until she completed her set before speaking: "Well done. Your progress in martial arts training has been most impressive in the past few months. However…"

Marxon picked up a nearby book and opened it at the spot where the marker had been set: "Must I conclude that you are late in your biology studies?"

She turned to him and took a few moments to catch her breath: "I… I do not understand why I should study biology. These lessons will be useless when I become an ACU pilot. I would just rather rely on martial arts training and quick reflexes. Even The Way appears useless when you enter the battlefield…"

Marxon slammed the book shut and Ariel grew quiet. Had she stepped over the bounds? The older man stepped closer, towering over his apprentice and held her gaze with his own for a long moment before speaking again: "Everything is connected."

The small girl hesitated and lowered her head: "I am sorry for questioning The Way. It is just… it is just so hard to believe in it sometimes after what happened."

A firm hand settled on her shoulder and a finger lifted her chin: "Everything is connected, whether you take it spiritually or pragmatically."

She grew confused for a moment as Marxon explained: "You can choose to believe in the deeper meaning of The Way or not, but you must also understand its practical implications. Every system, whether it is a body, a collective or an army, has similarities and knowing one system can help you understand another or open up possibilities."

Marxon let go of her chin and used his index finger to press different parts of her arm, lightly tapping each nerve cluster: "Striking different parts of a body can leave it imbalanced, opening the way for a single attack to finish off an opponent and let him crumble under his own weight. That is part of your martial arts training, but understanding why they are so important is part of your biology training which in turn will help you understand how to best protect them and execute the proper responses should you be struck in such a way."

Marxon's gaze briefly led Ariel's to her biology book before focusing on her again: "In the same fashion, the reasoning of how to strike, how to recover and how to repair a damaged body can be applied to a base and to all sorts of military warfare. Opening your mind to the possibilities create opportunities to attack, react and counter. You are gaining knowledge but most importantly, you are learning to learn."

Ariel held her breath, enthralled by the words and allowing them to sink in. When he saw that she partially understood him, Marxon leaned down and whispered in her ear: "Now, return to your biology studies and I promise that I will get you behind the controls of an ACU by the time that you reach eighteen. Go and make me proud."

Ariel nodded, grabbed the book and ran to the study. Marxon waited a moment and then smiled. Oh yes, the proper application of praise and constructive criticism worked wonders and Ariel would become a formidable commander one day.

**XXXXX**

"So, what's the story behind Redfog?" asked Dostya out of curiosity: "The only time when I see the two of you get this tense is usually when someone is talking about a full Aeon invasion force."

Dostya, Keith and Mather were all waiting in a mountain range back on Minerva. They had left their ACU and SCU back at Node Fifty-Six, opting for a light ground transport instead. Keith kept scanning the mountains while answering her: "You remember that freed Cybrans come from every culture and every corner of the UEF, right? Well, the UEF did not only transform your average Joe or your willing candidate into symbionts; they also transformed criminals. There are a few serial killers in the lot as well."

"So you're saying that Redfog and his gang are psychos?" asked Dostya, purposely oversimplifying the notion to lighten the mood. Keith was about to answer, but Mather shook his head: "Not exactly. You can't transform a mentally unstable human into a productive symbiont; that much even the UEF could piece together. An extremely low level of empathy, ethics or compassion combined with murderous instincts well… that still works. The few symbionts with such issues never really manage to integrate themselves into the nodes that take them in. When such individuals are located they are sent to the Assumpta node where their talents are put to better use by their peers."

The ACU pilot turned to her, his gaze hard: "Not everything that the UEF has been feeding its citizens is propaganda. If you ever saw a Cybran terrorist reports where a lot of civilians are injured then the odds are that someone from Assumpta was behind it. They don't follow Brackman's guidelines either."

Dostya frowned: "Then why the heck do we work with them? From the sound of it, we'd be better off if we stood as far away as possible."

"Because as cruel as it sounds, they are damned good at what they do and we are fighting the same enemy," Observed Mather reluctantly: "We don't have the luxury of choosing our allies or fighting amongst ourselves."

Keith caught their attention with a wave of his hand and pointed at an approaching vehicle. Dostya looked at it, but asked one more question: "And you know this Redfog personally?"

"I fought besides and argued with him and his predecessor a few times in the past," answered Mather, his gaze hardening as he did so: "Redfog is both a name and a title given to one of the best assassin of the Assumpta node. The carrier of an Assumpta title must uphold its legacy – including avenging the previous owner – or risk being killed by someone who would do the title justice."

There was no more time to talk as the vehicle reached them. It stopped roughly twenty meters ahead and five Cybrans walked out. Mather stepped forward with Keith and Dostya following: "It's been a long time."

The Cybrans parted to reveal their leader. Standing nearly six feet three, Redfog had his face partially obscured by a breathing mask and an intricate if barely perceptible pattern of facial circuitry covered his forehead. The assassin was otherwise completely bald but what characterized him the most was his set of intense and unwavering eyes: "Mather."

The simple exchange seemed to be the only introduction needed and Mather held his hand out. Redfog's gaze narrowed for a moment before he fetched the disk from a hidden compartment on his belt and threw it to him: "I have a proposition for you, one that you would do well to listen to… especially after our assistance back on Theban Two."

"Your 'assistance' just cost us one of our best security breaches in the past five months," shot back Mather with a frown: "After that little stunt, the UEF will tighten their security and we'll need to find another area to infiltrate."

Redfog merely shrugged, apparently not upset in the least: "And we managed to kill over twenty ACU trainees. It was a good exchange."

Mather sighed: "Let's just get this over with; what do you want?"

"Always straight to the point… my predecessor liked that about you," said Redfog, a sadistic smile hidden under his mask as the two pilots shared something unsaid. The smile disappeared, replaced by a voice that broke no compromise: "We heard about the Monkeylord."

Dostya looked to Keith, but the commando shrugged, clearly not understanding. Mather, on the other hand, froze for a second: "Go on."

"To put it simply, I want to help complete its main weapon system," said Redfog while tilting his head ever so slightly: "I have a good idea on how to do it as well… but I can't do it alone and I need someone with your unique talents to pull it off."

Mather's voice grew cold: "I never knew you to be altruistic, Redfog. Why would you risk your life for the Cybran cause?"

The assassin slowly reached behind his back and drew a blade. Dostya and Keith shifted uneasily as he presented it before them: "This is a plasma blade… a remarkable weapon."

The assassin's eyes gleamed as he elaborated: "Simple in design, but it is fast, silent and deadly. It liberates heated plasma upon striking; burning the wound as it slices so that no blood is left on the scene after the body is hidden. I… love this weapon."

Redfog touched the edge of the blade delicately as if it was alive and then looked back at them: "I also like the theory behind the Monkeylord in the same manner as I love this blade. The problem is that its main weapon system will still take years of development to even approach the power of one of those Aeon atrocities. I want it now."

"I have a plan for us to steal the technology from the Aeon," said Redfog casually: "With your skills in deception and my attack pattern, the two of us can take it and give the Cybrans the weapon that they truly deserve! I know that you don't like me, but my plan even covers the escape route for all those involved."

Mather hesitated for a long moment before shaking his head: "I'll have to think about it."

With that, he turned around and was about to leave when Redfog's voice boomed through the valley: "Mather!"

Everyone froze in place and Dostya could have sworn that waves of hatred were pouring from the assassin: "They are changing! We noticed this and so have you! Even Brackman could probably tell that something's up with the Aeon so don't you dare turn your back on me! We need that weapon!"

Mather did not turn around when he spoke: "How many teams?"

Redfog calmed instantly: "Two teams: you and me in Aeon territory and another team in the UEF. The mission can last up to a week."

This time, Mather did turn around: "I pick the pilots of the second team."

For a second, it appeared that Redfog was smiling under his mask: "And I will pick the manpower that will accompany that group… and he won't be amongst them."

Keith had been the target of the last remark and was about to object, but Mather brought a hand up to silence him: "Agreed; tomorrow at six in the back room of the Hot Plasma bar."

"Well bargained and done," answered Redfog. The assassin made a barely perceptible nod and left. Keith waited until their vehicle started moving before speaking: "Are you insane? You're going to trust this lunatic? Going into Aeon territory is crazy! Not even you can stay there unnoticed for very long."

Dostya placed a hand on Keith's shoulder to stop him while turning her head towards Mather: "Why?"

"Redfog is many things, but he's not a liar," answered Mather. A wince escaped him as he added: "That and he's right: the Aeon Illuminate is changing."

**Chapter 2 **

**The price of a lie **

"I'm really starting to hate this," grumbled Arnold under his breath: "We reclaim a sector from the Aeon and set the foundation for a new colony only to be called away. Then they send first year cadets to protect the place and expect them to hold. What the hell are they thinking?"

Arnold resisted the urge to punch his monitor and Desjar sighed: "Sorry buddy, but those are the orders. If it's any consolation, I have a good feeling about our next assignment."

This made the ACU pilot pause and he looked at his partner on his screen: "You know something that I don't?"

The SCU pilot shrugged and pressed a few buttons: "The outpost that we've been reassigned to is controlled by Commander Riley and he's got a pretty good record. I heard he's been promoted to Lieutenant General and that he could become a full-fledged General one day. Heck, with the way that he's acting, he might actually become a president! If someone as successful as him is calling us then maybe it means he has a plan or a special mission!"

"Statistics and rumors won't tell you anything about a man," observed Arnold as he entered a course correction: "I'll trust my guts when I take a good look at him over a sheet of paper any day."

Arnold's ACU climbed over the nearby hill and came in full view of the quantum gate. Desjar's SCU came up beside him and bowed as much as its servomotors would allow: "Age before beauty."

Snorting, Arnold slapped his partner away: "A real comedian, but don't give up your day job. I still need a meat shield to get the enemy's attention."

Desjar was grinning on his screen, apparently satisfied that his usual banter had finally lightened the mood: "I knew you cared! I'm touched."

Arnold closed the connection and made the system preparations with the shadow of a smile tugging at his lips. Maybe Desjar was right and something good would come out of all this. A bunch of experienced commanders being called to the same spot? It was promising if nothing else and soon they might make some real progress.

"Desjar you bastard; you did it to me again!" admitted Arnold between clenched teeth, aware that the other pilot had lightened his mood: "Systems ready, portal charged, confirming that the receiving gate is not under attack. What could possibly go wrong?"

The portal flared as his ACU stepped through and for a moment, the familiar feeling of nausea washed over him. It was soon over as he materialized on the distant world, but warning lights started flashing all across the board. Surprised, the pilot immediately assumed a balanced stance as his main monitor was reinitialized.

Arnold had expected to land in the thick of a battle, but instead, he appeared in the middle of parade. Lining the streets in front of him was the majority of the fifty thousand citizens that populated Matar and they were cheering wildly upon his arrival. The ACU's sensors had detected the fireworks exploding and the proximity sensors had been triggered by so many moving bodies.

The initial adrenaline rush faded slowly and was instead replaced by a mounting sense of dread. Many bill boards were lit up with the same message: Zachary Arnold, the savior of the UEF, the protector of the common man… the hero of the battle of Orionis.

**XXXXX**

Marxon looked up from the tome that he was reading as Ariel entered the room: "There is a message for you."

Without further explanation, the fourteen year old girl stepped forward and handed him a rolled parchment. The fact that someone had bothered to use paper – something more precious than an easily manufactured data pad – implied the importance of the message. Marxon's suspicions were confirmed as he rolled it in his hands and saw Toth's seal.

Without a word, he broke the seal and unrolled the parchment, reading each sentence carefully once and then a second time to make sure that he had not missed any hidden meaning. Ariel stood at attention and Marxon waited a bit longer. She obviously understood that the message was important, but he decided to test the limits of her patience and pretended to read it a third time. She did not move or object and he nodded approvingly as he looked up at her: "It is a summoning for the ritual of awakening."

"May I ask what kind of ritual is it?" asked Ariel in barely hidden excitement.

"It is a tradition that has not been used for centuries," explained Marxon, his face remaining impassive: "One designed to test the mental and spiritual resolve of a candidate. Each subject is placed into a secluded shrine which acts as sensory deprivation chamber. Instead of being judged by a circle of peers, the subject actually judges himself and must face what they truly are. Some have left these rituals broken and lost. I and seven other candidates have been asked to undergo this test in order to decide who will be the next Avatar-of-War."

Ariel hesitated for a moment, twisting the question in her head a few times before finally asking it: "Is it bad? You won so many victories at the cost of so many lives. Will this play against you when you judge yourself?"

If Marxon was upset by the question he did not show it, but instead got up and moved towards his computer and entered a series of queries: "Only those that lie to themselves fear what they might see in a mirror. That is not what has me concerned, however, and while Toth may hope that I fail, I doubt that it is what she is truly after."

Ariel was obviously confused as her master searched through databases: "I do not understand."

"The ritual lasts five days which is a lot of time where I will be out of touch," explained Marxon as he explored the situation from every angle: "If someone wanted to do something without any meddling from my part then one would use that time to… here we are."

All the signs were there. Toth was subtle, but there were limits as to how one could cover their tracks in a society where deceit was not part of the norm. Marxon nodded as he explained: "These travel plans indicate that she is going to join a group of Evaluators which is nothing odd at a first glance. However, it appears that she has booked a bigger transport than necessary… one that might house her students on a spiritual trip."

Marxon brought a hand to his upper lip for a moment and considered his options carefully before turning to his protégé: "Ariel, I have a mission for you. It will take you off our home world and into unknown territory. Do you have the courage to stand forth and do what is necessary?"

The girl stood straight with her chin held high and nodded fiercely. Marxon smiled slowly and placed a hand on her shoulder: "Here is what I want you to do."

**XXXXX**

"Ah, here is the dashing duo that I wanted to meet!" came the jovial proclamation: "Commander Arnold and Desjar, I hope that our little surprise welcome did not unsettle you too much!"

Arnold's fist clenched a moment and he turned around slowly with a murderous glare. Desjar sensed that his friend was quickly losing his temper and grabbed him by the arm. Arnold shook him off and glared at the speaker: "Lieutenant General Riley, I presume?"

"The one and the same," answered the other pilot with a crowd winning smile: "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

The commander, a man in his forties that had seen quite a few battles, extended his hand with a warm smile. Arnold looked at it with utter contempt and did not shake it: "I did not ask for this."

"Look, son, we could not broadcast news of the celebration over the quantum network," explained Riley, his tone serious even as he maintained his smile for the crowd: "Having so many civilians in the same area would have attracted Aeon attention and these people needed a morale boost. So take it as a nudge in the ribs and loosen up! You are the hero of Orionis after all!"

Behind them, Desjar groaned and covered his face with his hand. Arnold stood unblinking: "What I did on Orionis was not a battle, it was a massacre."

The Lieutenant General smiled for a moment for the crowd, got closer and lowered his tone: "Follow me commander, that's an order."

Riley led him through the crowd and towards a secluded office. There he closed the door behind them and walked towards the desk. Arnold was fuming by then and his frustration was clearly apparent in the tone of his voice: "Making me the hero of anything is a gross mistake. If you only knew how many civilians died…"

Riley cut him off with a wave of his hand: "I'm perfectly aware of what happened on Orionis; civilian casualties included. You did your duty and you did it well."

Arnold was momentarily stunned. He had expected that Riley had merely been ignorant since the details of the mission were not public knowledge. To realize that it had been done on purpose, however, angered him to the point of exploding: "Then why the hell did you make a parade with me as the central guest? I'm not proud of what I did and none of these folks would be celebrating if they had seen half of what I did!"

"What you did was prevent UEF forces from being fully routed in a battle that left us wide open," countered Riley harshly: "Had you accomplished any less then millions of UEF citizens and hundreds of commanders would have died in the following months. Matar would have fallen, its citizens cleansed or worse. You won against all odds and in a selfless effort to save your fellow men. The UEF needs more examples like you to bolster its morale and its will to fight!"

Arnold took a step backwards, horrified by the speech but more importantly because Riley believed it: "And what of the pain that comes with it? What of the endless nightmares and the faces that I see in my sleep? Maybe if I got out there and shouted what really happened…"

Riley moved more quickly than Arnold would have given him credit for and came within an inch of his face: "Now you listen here, soldier. Ugly things happen in wars and we are here to make sure that it won't happen to our people and we shield them from the brunt reality as well. Do you know how much morale is important?"

The Lieutenant General moved away briskly and kept speaking: "Entire nations through history have been moved by their will to fight! Sure they might not be ACU pilots or war heroes, but I'll take a solid patriot with a heart at the right place and a gun in his hand any day. I've seen ACU pilots soiling their pants because they could not see past their own selfish lives and I've seen farmers screaming defiantly as they charged with a rusty pipe in hand. So make no mistake about it; if our people believe that they can win then they will!"

"But it's just a lie…" said Arnold weakly as he leaned on the wall for support. Part of him flinching as Riley screamed: "Then live with it! If a lie can make people stand on their two feet and fight then it's something that can be used. If something as simple as a lie saves countless men, women and children then it can be incredibly valuable. You're feeling rotten because people don't see the blood on your hands? There's blood on all our hands and mine are no exception! Every commander out there does whatever he can to win the war and you should too. Forgive me if I don't give a damn about any self-loathing if it buys us our victory."

Riley calmed down for a moment, lowering his voice: "Learn to accept what happened and move on. People admire you for what you did and this celebration is for you. Use it to reconnect with the rest of humanity and forget past mistakes because when this is over, you'll still be the hero of Orionis and many more lives will depend on you."

With that, Riley rearranged his shirt slightly, gave Arnold a curt nod and made his way out of the office and back to the party, leaving Arnold alone.

**XXXXX**

"What did Doctor Brackman say?" asked Dostya, a note of worry in her voice.

Mather took a deep breath to steady himself and then looked back at her: "Exactly what I expected him to say. He trusts me enough to make my own judgment call when we hear Redfog's plan and he promised to support me in my decision. The Doctor also approved my second request…"

That last part confused her, but then Mather straightened and nodded back: "Dostya, you've been promoted to a full-fledged commander and you will be piloting an ACU from now on. I would also be honored – should we agree to Redfog's plan – if you were to lead the second team."

Dostya gasped and was about to object, but Mather stopped her with an outstretched hand: "You're smart, quick thinking, determined, competent and the most able pilot that I have ever trained. You can even outdo me in few areas and you've made me very proud."

The other pilot's face flushed as Mather went on: "You're all that and what's most important, you know how I think. I don't know what Redfog has in store for us, but I know that he would not ask for anyone's help if he did not have to. When things get rough - and they will - then there is no one I would rather have besides me."

Dostya could feel herself flushing and she nodded at him. There was also something else in his eyes, something that was far more personal, but he would not say it just yet. Part of Dostya was also confused about her feelings, but she would put those aside for now.

The moment was shattered as the door opened and Redfog stepped into the room. He barely nodded in their direction and was quickly followed by three other assassins who closed the door and took positions behind him. Redfog looked around the room slowly: "Is that everyone?"

"Yes, Dostya will be in charge of the second team if we agree to the plan," answered Mather. He was immediately interrupted by one of the assassins in the back: "This child?"

The ACU pilot was about to offer a retort, but Dostya beat him to it: "If you have a problem with it then we can settle this right here."

The assassin was about to step forward, but Redfog lifted his hand: "I have heard of you… you will do."

The assassin behind Redfog immediately backed off, unwilling to challenge his leader: "These men represent part of the ground force that I will be sending with the second team… provided that you agree to my plan of course. Did you have any backup in store for her?"

Mather nodded slowly, his eyes unblinking: "I have one SCU pilot willing to give us a hand. He'll be late, however, but we can start without him. He's not much for making plans anyway."

Before anyone else could object, Redfog gestured with his hand: "Map."

One of the assassins discretely made his way towards the table, placed a holographic projector on it and turned it on. A representation of the solar system immediately sprung in the air even as Redfog spoke: "The plan is completed through several stages and what I am about to say will not leave this room. The goal is to steal the plans of a Galactic Colossus from the Aeon and use it to complete the design of the Monkeylord's laser. As you all guessed, we can't just gate in, take the plans and gate out."

"The first step of the plan is to ensure that we will have a way out," said Redfog as he pointed towards a remote planet in Aeon territory: "The UEF separates us from the Aeon planet that I have targeted and that poses a problem. Gating directly would be possible, but gating back would require a tremendous amount of energy and therefore a lot of time. Needless to say, that is a luxury that we cannot afford."

The assassin's finger shifted to another planet which was halfway between Minerva and their intended destination: "Both teams will first gate to Matar. There we will attack and capture a small UEF settlement and use it as a stealth staging base from which team one will drive our assault in Aeon territory. Team two will be staying behind, avoiding detection for as long as possible. Let me be clear: we want to capture the settlement, not level it. The presence of UEF citizens in our clutch should be enough to buy us some time should we be detected."

Dostya hid her contempt at the mention of a possible hostage situation even as Redfog kept explaining: "The second phase of the plan will be handled by me and Mather. We will gate into Aeon territory and quickly build a base. I will lead an assault on an Aeon settlement, capture part of the people there and get the answers that I need while Mather buys me time with decoy tactics. Once I have the information, we will quickly gate back into to our staging point and then a second time into Cybran territory."

Mather leaned over the table and looked at the map: "You seem to be purposely keeping some of the details from us. We've already confirmed that both the Aeon and the UEF use the same strategy as us: they only give access to specific schematics to high ranking commanders. Their experimental weapons are used only by their most zealous members. We can't just grab the first person that survives and beat it out of him."

Redfog nodded slowly: "Quite right and all you need to know is that I have a specific individual in mind. I will not say any more and no one but me will be holding that piece of information. Any leak concerning the identity of my target, even the smallest one, would doom this operation to failure."

Dostya looked at Mather and then back at Redfog: "But it won't help you get the information out of your target. If the schematics are only held by the most zealous then it could be days before you manage to get it out of him. How will you get the pilot to talk before the Aeon find and destroy you?"

A low chuckle filled the room and Redfog looked up at Dostya with a wicked glint in his eyes, most of his face still hidden under his breathing mask: "That part is also planned out. As for the method well… we have a saying at the Assumpta node: don't ask questions to which you're not willing to hear the answer."

Suddenly the door leading into the small room burst open and a man stepped through with a bottle of Minerva's swamp in his hand: "Hey! I'm sure glad that I found you guys!"

Dostya's face brightened and Mather hid his smile as one of the assassins growled and moved to intercept: "Stupid idea to have such a meeting in the back room of a bar. Get out of here you drunk before I break a few…"

The assassin tried to grab the old man, but the intended victim reacted first, sending the bottle of liquor spinning in the air to distract the attacker, grabbing the arm, twisting it at a painful angle and then catching the bottle: "I may be old, but I'm still young enough to kick your rear around the room… do you want a drink?"

"You're late Bagby and you missed the briefing too," said Mather, his voice stopping the old SCU pilot from spilling his bottle over the assassin's head. Bagby looked up with a wide grin: "Impossible odds, low chance of success and low pay?"

Dostya crossed her arms and barely held back her grin: "And worst still, you'd be serving under me."

"Now that's something that only a madman would accept," Observed the old pilot with a chuckle. With that, Bagby shoved the assassin back towards his peers: "Count me in."

Redfog did not even move or bother to acknowledge the SCU pilot's antics while the other assassin cursed and rubbed his arm: "Is he completely insane?"

Dostya shrugged and turned a wicked grin on him: "You know what they say: don't ask questions to which you're not willing to hear the answer."

**XXXXX**

Arnold leaned on the nearby table, unable to get out of the office where Riley had given his speech. How could that slime ball just go out there, smile and shake hands while knowing that this entire party was a sham? Worse yet, how could Arnold possibly go out there and do the same with those memories hunting him? They were so vivid now that whenever he blinked, he could see that lone ten year old girl looking at him and shooting his ACU with her blaster.

A voice suddenly startled him: "Oh excuse me; I know it might sound strange but…"

Arnold had been so self-absorbed that he had not heard the door open and he turned around to see a woman enter the room. She looked at him for a second and her face immediately flushed: "Oh my god! I did not know that it was you in here and now I feel very stupid for what I'm about to ask!"

The guilt that he felt now combined with an equal proportion of confusion as it was obvious that the woman was embarrassed to intrude upon him. She looked away for a moment and took a deep breath: "You would not happen to have seen an ACU plush toy around, would you?"

"Err… sorry no," answered Arnold in confusion.

"Oh, I can't believe that this is the first line that I throw to the hero of Orionis!" said the woman in embarrassment while shaking her head.

Arnold flinched and she noticed. She quieted a moment and then explained: "My four year old son he… he just can't seem to sleep without the doll. My brother sent it to him when he was just a baby and it has probably seen more action than any doll in existence."

The woman took a step forward and lowered he voice: "I know a lot of people are probably bothering you tonight and want to congratulate you, but now that I'm here, I just wanted to say thank you. They say that in large part to your efforts, me and my little Timmy still have a home. They say that we would never have managed to evacuate Matar in time before the Aeon invaded."

There was a moment of silence as the woman tried to gauge if she had made things better or worse. She finally smiled and clacked her heels together: "Well, that doll won't find itself and I have to find it if Timmy is to have any sleep on the way back home. With any luck, maybe it did not jump in the bowl full of punch in some mad exploration. Goodnight!"

She waved at Arnold with a smile and left. The ACU pilot desperately held on to that image; trying to picture the young vibrant woman and her son in his mind for as long as possible. For a moment, the sight of the bodies on Orionis left him and he breathed a little easier. Unknown to her, she had given him something to hold on to that was more tangible than any parade, something that he desperately needed.

**Chapter 3 **

**On the move **

She floated quietly with her eyes closed, the waters gently caressing her skin and warming her body. A barely perceptible ripple hit Rhianne and she felt it reach her long hair, pulling at them ever so slightly. It seemed that another student was getting out of the meditation pool to rejoin the others. To Rhianne's knowledge, it meant that only five students were in the pool with her now.

It was not a contest of who would remain the longest since enlightenment was not reached through a measure of time. Still, Rhianne found it strange that the others seemed to have problems staying in the meditation pool for extended periods. Some had told her that they grew bored or felt anxiety after so long with little sensory stimulation. To Rhianne, however, meditation was a gift; a way to dig deeply inside herself and find the roots of her very being.

Human emotions were complex; one of the hardest things to analyze and predict. Like every sizable problem, however, emotions could be taken apart and analyzed one piece at a time until it all made sense. A boiling anger might have surfaced after an incident, but have its roots traced to some other unresolved conflicts. Through such a process, Rhianne had analyzed as much as she could and her anger, joy, fear and passions all made sense to her now. A deeper understanding allowed her to act in true concordance with her inner being and it was the first step towards understanding The Way.

Now her mind was turned towards outside events since analyzing those could help to unravel other aspects of her personality that she was unaware of. Rhianne's mind turned around the Infinite War, but instead of looking at it in its entirety, she decided to focus on the Cybrans. How would it feel to have implants, an AI, and have both the Aeon and the UEF as enemies? Was the AI really a cold logical voice that ran through one's mind, dehumanizing events and reducing everything to statistics?

She tried to conjure a mental image of a Cybran, imagining the basic human form, the red facial circuitry and the precise movements. Rhianne's efforts were rewarded as her imagination took life and her heartbeat quickened in response. The Cybran moved slowly around as if analyzing the environment. Suddenly he seemed to be looking straight at her and although his form was still blurry, she could clearly see a set of intense burning eyes.

As he stepped towards her, Rhianne's heartbeat quickened and fear replaced her earlier awe. This sensation puzzled her since there was no reason for it. She did not fear death nor was she in any danger. It was simply a Cybran in her imagination so there was no reason to fear anything. The figure was running towards her now and she felt a tingling sensation in her fingers as if blood was no longer circulating through them. Why was this happening?

Deciding that she might have stayed in the pool too long, Rhianne tried to stop her meditation just as the figure reached her. Intense pain filled her chest as if a blade had been driven straight through her rib cage and into her heart. She opened her eyes and gasped, jerking violently a few times before she regained control. She moved her arms in order to stand in the pool and noticed that two other students were looking at her with concern. She bowed her head and touched her forehead; silently apologizing for the disturbance and made her way towards the side.

She analyzed what had happened as she moved, trying to find out why such a vision had visited her. She had never been disturbed while thinking about the UEF or the Cybrans before, so why now? The vision had been vague and all that she could clearly recall was the set of unforgiving eyes.

**XXXXX**

Evaluator Toth looked up from her book as Rhianne jerked in the pool for a moment. She grew worried when she saw her favored pupil look around with a scared expression, apologize to the others and make her way out. It was not uncommon for anyone to have a shocking revelation while meditating, but Rhianne had shown a maturity and an innate comprehension of herself a long time ago. The possibility of her discovering such a shocking side of her mind after being so serene for the past month was unlikely. It left the possibility of a vision, but the notion was unheard of in one so young. Odds were that she had dug up an old nightmare that she had experienced in her early childhood.

A green light emanating from the nearby door indicated that someone was seeking an audience. Toth closed her book, clapped her hands together and instructed the other students to get out of the pool. Whatever mystery had happened today would have to wait. She opened the door to find the most unlikely guest: a small girl that looked no older than fourteen years old: "Greetings child, can I help you?"

"Evaluator Toth," said the child while bowing her head. She then handed her a rolled parchment: "My mentor sends his greetings and this message. He hopes that you fill find me worthy of your time."

A barely perceptible trace of contempt laced the child's words and Toth had a feeling that she knew who the mentor was. She cracked the seal and read the letter carefully, confirming that Marxon was behind it. Although Toth had plucked a very old tradition by invoking the ritual of rebirth, Marxon had researched an equally obscure one by invoking the right of tranquility. Such a right had only been used once by a single parent before proceeding with the test, afraid that her only child would be left alone should she be mentally scarred. Toth knew that this had less to do with the child's welfare than with Marxon keeping tabs on her.

"Your name is Ariel, correct?" asked Toth, her voice bearing no malice as she tried to look at the child as separate individual and not as an extension of her master: "Did your mentor instruct you as to what it meant to be under my care?"

The girl nodded and Toth smiled. Although she was just a pawn in all of this, she was still an innocent child that might find enlightenment like any other. Maybe a different perspective now could save her from Marxon's clutches later and Toth decided to embrace the opportunity: "We will soon be departing for a trip to Luthien. The Artic world was liberated from the UEF's web of deceit nearly two years ago."

The child nodded vigorously: "Yes, after commander Marxon's victory over the UEF invaders at Orionis."

Toth raised an eyebrow as she corrected the child: "After the Aeon Illuminate – including commander Marxon – fought off the invaders at Orionis. Let us not forget everyone that was involved in that tragic battle."

Looking at Ariel's eyes, Toth could see that she would never forget what had happened at Orionis. There was a lot of anger in those eyes, anger that Marxon had no doubt tapped into. The Evaluator straightened: "In any case, we will be departing for an important journey that involves the spiritual growth of my students. You are free to either stay here or join us since commander Marxon has entrusted you into my care."

From the look of the child's eyes, Toth knew that she would be left behind not so easily.

**XXXXX**

"Hey Arnold, are you in here?" asked Desjar as he looked at the mess in the apartment. From the looks of things, it seemed as though a hurricane had passed and the pilot could not help but mutter under his breath: "Well if you're not here then you're not far."

The sound of something shifting caught Desjar's attention and he spotted the tip of a boot behind the bed. The SCU pilot slowly made his way towards it and spotted Arnold with a half empty bottle of tequila in hand: "Go away. I'm not in the mood for jokes right now."

Arnold took a swig and did not even look at his friend. Instead of leaving him alone, Desjar sank right next to him and opened the bottle of wine that he had been carrying: "I'm not on duty so screw your orders."

The ACU pilot snarled but did not object anymore. They drank in silence for a while before Desjar finally spoke: "Ok, it's time to get it out of your system and get it over with before either of us pass out."

Arnold felt the near overwhelming urge to punch his friend in the face but sighed instead, his shoulders slumping in defeat: "You know, when I was a kid everything was simple. If I did good then I'd get a grunt of approval, if I did bad I'd get slapped around and if I totally screwed up then my dad would use his belt to make sure I understood. Those were the rules until I was old enough to punch back. It was messed up, but at least right and wrong were clear back then."

"Now… now I kill thousands of civilians and they hand me medals and throw me a party," said Arnold, his voice torn between anguish and anger: "No one wants to know what really happened or why I wanted to win so much. They keep saying that I did it for order, glory and the good of every human under the UEF… but I only did it for Lin."

Arnold took another swig of his tequila before continuing: "If I had just stayed in the base and fought until the end then maybe a few thousands would have been spared."

Desjar waited a few moments before sighing: "They would have been spared too if I had stopped you from sending me back."

Arnold looked at him weirdly and snorted: "What the hell are you babbling about? I was the one that forced your SCU through the gate. There was nothing that you could have done besides act like a monkey in the cockpit."

"I could have initiated the self-destruct sequence," said Desjar halfheartedly while taking a shot from his own bottle: "Not even you could have stopped that."

Arnold jerked up, spilling part of the bottle on his shirt: "Are you crazy? The damage to the portal…"

"Would have been acceptable," interrupted Desjar while waving the notion away: "I was piloting an SCU and not an ACU buddy; the portal would have held, you would have been safely home and those people would be alive. You would never have known about your initial strike on that settlement and everybody would have been better off."

Arnold looked at his friend and blinked a few times. Now he knew why the subject kept coming up every few months; Desjar was feeling just as guilty as he was despite never firing a single shot. He had simply never had the guts to tell him before today.

Arnold could see what he was saying though. If they had been given better intelligence, if the mission has not been so desperate, if backup had arrived, if for any number of perfectly good reasons things had turned out differently then a lot of people would be alive today. The war and all those lives did not rest on their shoulders alone. It did not help them feel any better at the moment, but maybe with time they would find a way to accept it.

"You know… you're one sorry excuse of a pathetic pilot if you think that pressing that self-destruct button would have been acceptable," said Arnold with a half chuckle.

Desjar raised his bottle in a toast: "But I'm still the better looking… and I bet you that I'll finish my bottle before you finish yours."

With that Desjar brought the bottle up and started drinking which brought a smirk on Arnold's face. It disappeared quickly though and he brought his bottle up as well since the SCU pilot appeared dead serious about winning that bet.

**XXXXX**

The engines hummed to life, allowing the ACU to move through the training field with ease. Dostya felt the vibrations at each step and completed a half a dozen diagnostics simultaneously. The ACU was brand new with only a few traces of recent modifications to accommodate the jamming equipment. She shot at a few nearby boulders and recycled the debris afterwards. Everything was perfectly calibrated, but she made the field test to be certain anyway. This mission could not afford any mistake.

Once she was done, she made her way to the gate nexus where everyone was waiting. Mather was standing in the middle of the gate, his ACU standing with its arms outstretched. Not far away was Redfog's ACU, its surface decorated with a nonstandard pattern of black and red paint which made it look like someone had spilled blood all over the surface. Besides it was the module that held the twenty Assumpta assassins. They were coded Urzu one through Urzu twenty and were under Mather's command until the UEF settlement was captured. Finally, at the back of the complex was Bagby, the only unit that could not enter a quantum gate without a similar structure on the other side to welcome it.

The signal for a conference call lit up and Dostya activated it. Her main monitor was filled with a series of shifting triangles with the face of every pilot appearing in turn. An extra triangle appeared in the end, displaying a series of pulsating red circles. Dostya had rarely ever spoken to QAI, but she was reassured to know that it was involved in the mission.

"Here's a quick recapitulation, so everyone listen up," said Mather, drawing everyone's attention: "Our target is the isolated settlement of New Hampshire on Matar. We have established that it does not have the necessary scanning equipment to see us coming. I will gate over and establish a stealth base as quickly as I can. The Assumpta squad will gate in next followed by Redfog and Dostya. Bagby will come in later once the settlement is captured and both me and Redfog are off the planet."

Mather's head turned towards Redfog: "I trust that your people have been instructed to obey my orders and then Dostya's to the letter?"

Redfog's voice was icy calm as if he was discussing something as boring as the weather: "They will follow orders as long as it follows the original outline, yes."

There was no mistaken what the assassin meant: they would follow orders, but their first loyalty was to Redfog. For a second, Mather was worried about leaving Dostya alone with them, but then he paused and realized that maybe the assassins were the ones in trouble.

The moment of silence was shattered when QAI spoke: "I will be monitoring the situation closely, but will be maintaining strict communication's silence for as long as we are undetected. Once the schematics are safely within our hands, I will attempt to extract whatever information that could be of immediate value."

The reactor of the quantum gate complex suddenly activated and bolts of electricity sliced the air above them. It was time and they ended the conference call. The main quantum generators dropped and emitted a piercing whine before a flash filled their view screen. Once the flash disappeared, Mather's ACU was gone.

The next part was the hardest: they had to wait. The Assumpta troops would be sent ten minutes later and then each ACU pilot would gate at a five minute interval. There would be no communications in the meantime as there would only need to talk if something went wrong. They therefore waited in the hope that nothing would happen.

This was the part that Dostya hated the most as there was no way to know if Mather was safe or dead. A light on her left flashed and her heart skipped a beat until she realized that it was only Bagby calling her: "What is it?"

"Hey D, here's one last piece of advice before things get rough," said the old pilot, suddenly serious: "Those Assumpta psychos know Mather and Redfog, but they don't know you. You might need to step on a few of them to earn their respect."

Dostya chuckled softly: "I think it's the first time that I ever heard you being serious, Bagby. Got any advice on how I should manage you while we're at it?"

The old man grinned, exposing a few missing teeth: "Nah, I already know from personal experience that you'll kick a man in the balls to prove your point. Just point the way and I'll follow your lead through hell and back if necessary. Just don't be surprised if I do a few things the Bagby way!"

Dostya grinned despite herself. Rare were the pilots – especially SCU pilots – that ever reached Bagby's age. It would be the first time that she would ever see him in action.

She looked at the clock and they were closing on the ten minute mark. With no news from Mather, it meant that he had succeeded. The quantum gate activated and the Assumpta squad module quickly disappeared. The Cybrans were on the move.

**XXXXX**

"Now let us all bow our heads and pray," said Toth as she lowered her head and brought both of her hands together. Her students did the same and so did Rhianne. She tried to forget her earlier vision and instead focused on the peace and serenity that she usually attained. The quantum gate activated and a disk of light dropped towards their transport, enveloping them all in a warm and comfortable light. When the light dimmed Rhianne knew that they were on Luthien.

They got to their feet almost as one and picked up their cloaks. Only one student – the one that had joined them barely a few hours ago – was out of synch with the rest of them. Rhianne briefly considered heading over to her and extend a hand in friendship, but something in the back of her mind warned her that she would take offense. She was here because someone has asked it of her and not because she had wished it, of that Rhianne was certain.

Evaluator Toth clapped her hands once to get their attention: "We will now be taking a walk towards the halls of absolution. Take the time to center yourselves and be ready. The sight may disturb more than one of you and you will all be tasked with participating."

The doors opened and a cold wind caressed their skin. Rhianne tightened her cloak a bit, but otherwise kept her face fully exposed, embracing the change instead of hiding from it. The weather was not unlike the one found outside the equatorial zone of Seraphim Two, but from what she understood, it was always like this on Luthien. Still, the sight of the towering peaks in the distance and the music from the wind were unlike anything that she had ever experienced. Unfortunately, the scenery was broken by the sight of war wreckage a few kilometers away.

"What are we doing here?" asked a voice behind Rhianne. It brought her out of her contemplation and she noticed that it came from the new student who was on Evaluator Toth's heels: "This is not a place for children to play around. There has been a war here recently."

Instead of scolding the new student for her breach in etiquette, Toth smiled patiently: "Are you sure? How could one fully embrace The Way if one ignored the consequences of war? There are many things that one cannot fully grasp without seeing them with their own eyes."

"I have seen more than enough," muttered the new student under her breath while turning away from Toth, but Rhianne had caught the words. The bitterness of her voice and her temper brought an image to Rhianne's mind: that of the lonely girl crying herself to sleep while holding on to her pillow. She had lost someone… no, she had lost everything to the war.

The realization stunned Rhianne and she stayed silent for a few moments longer. Toth then turned to them again: "Please listen well students. Luthien has been under Aeon control only recently and there are still many pockets of resistance dotting the planet. Each day the war continues and each days UEF forces are either destroyed or captured. Those that are captured are given a choice: to accept The Way or be cleansed."

She looked at them all for a moment, making sure that she had their full attention: "The first goal of the Aeon Illuminate is to spread The Way and only by touching the heart of our enemy can we accomplish this. Today you will accompany and assist Evaluators in their teachings as they seek to end this war. It is only their tireless work that gives us hope for a peaceful future."

Rhianne stood straight, fully believing Evaluator Toth's words. She did not have to look at the new student's eyes to know that the belief was not shared.

**XXXXX**

"This is New Hampshire control reporting in; no threats detected in the area and no sign of activity," the touch of a few buttons forwarded the latest sensor sweep to their headquarters even as Henry finished his report: "Confirmation code five, five, six, Zulu, eight. Please confirm."

The response came quickly: "Roger that New Hampshire, please standby."

Henry twisted in his chair and placed both of his feet on the console: "Gang I hate the night shift. Nothing happens, you can't accomplish anything because you need the authorization of someone's that sleeping and in the morning, you get blamed because nothing gets done!"

The technician looked over his shoulder at the symbiont which was dutifully filling in today's reports: "But you probably don't care about any of that now, do you? Why don't you fetch me a cup of coffee you walking zombie."

The symbiont immediately nodded, getting to his feet and heading to the cafeteria. Henry merely shrugged: "Good dog."

The screen suddenly lit up: "New Hampshire, your code has been confirmed. Over and out."

"Finally," came a voice in the control center. The technician felt an icy chill run down his spine since the voice had come from behind him. He barely had the time to blink as someone kicked his feet off the console, grabbed him by the collar and slammed his face repeatedly against the controls. He desperately tried to reach for his gun, but someone caught his right arm and twisted it behind his back. Henry cried out as the arm was pushed higher and higher until the bone finally snapped.

"I got this one," came the whisper before addressing someone else: "Urzu three, how are those security software?"

The technician could barely stay conscious as someone else in the room answered: "Over a year old… and the idiot has his login and password tagged to his screen. We don't need him."

Henry could barely twist his head around and saw the station's symbiont from the corner of his eye: "Help me!"

"He can't help you, little man," came the taunting remark from behind Henry's ear: "His loyalty program prevents him from making any attack even against your enemies. How long has he been assigned to this station?"

When Henry did not answer, the Cybran twisted his broken arm further which brought a new wave of agony: "Seven years!"

The Cybrans hesitated for a moment before the one that was holding him spoke again: "Too long; the bastard probably needs years of therapy and he's nothing but dead weight to us."

The other voice answered quickly: "But the others from Fifty-Six will probably want to help him anyway. That is unless…"

Henry did not know what they were talking about, but he did not like the tone of their voice. In a flash one of his assailants picked up the gun from his belt, slapped it into his left hand and twisted him around. A finger pressed over his and a shot fired, catching the mute symbiont straight in the head. Before he could figure out what was happening the Cybran disarmed him while his partner aimed a laser pistol at his head: "Congratulations, you get to die a hero."

There was a flash of intense pain and then Henry no longer felt anything.

**XXXXX**

"Pow, pow; you're dead Martin!" came the cry through the settlement. Ralph pointed his toy gun at the other child and grinned widely. With Martin gone, his team had won and they were the uncontested rulers of Matar! Just in the nick of time too since the sun had fallen and it was only a matter of time until their commanders – otherwise known as their mothers – would swoop down and order them to bed.

"No I'm not, I have shields!" protested Martin stubbornly.

"Oh not again!" complained Ralph while rolling his eyes: "Martin, we're playing storm commandos, not ACU piloting. You can't have shields when you're just wandering around with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt!"

The other kid crossed his arms defiantly: "Who says I can't? Who made the rules of this stupid game anyway?"

"It's just how it works Martin," insisted Ralph again: "You get shot and you die. You can't decide to have shields because you hate to lose. Take this rock for example."

Ralph picked up a rock and flipped it once: "You can't just decide that it's a grenade because you want to. That's not in the rule so if I throw it."

Raph threw the rock as far as he could: "It will just…"

The rock hit something in midair over ten meters away and bolts of electricity laced through the air for a split second. Ralph stood completely confused while Martin whistled: "That's one heck of a grenade! Here let me try!"

Before Ralph could stop him Martin threw another rock with the same results and he cried in excitement: "Those grenades rock!"

Seeming to catch on to his own choice of words, Martin giggled and Raph was about to slap and remind him that rocks and electricity did not mix when the whole ground shook. They both fell on their backs and looked up just as bolts of electricity danced through the whole area and a demon like ACU appeared in front of them. The four red eye slits were fixed on them and so was one of the giant's cannons.

"Err… shields?" squealed Martin defensively. A cold voice came from the giant: "Remember the rule: you get shot and you die."

**Chapter 4 **

**Past agony **

"We'll seal them in their quarters and strap some explosive through the complex," said one of the Assumpta with disdain: "Anyone that tries to escape will only do so in pieces. That should give the necessary example for the others to…"

The transmitter of every Assumpta assassin flared to life and a single clear voice came through: "This is Dostya. ETA to the quantum gate construction is estimated at eight minutes. Command of the Assumpta troops has been transferred to me and we will now plan out the proper method of containing the settlers."

The assassin looked at his three compatriots and frowned. He then brought a hand to his ear and activated his transmitter: "This is Urzu one, we got that part covered. Why don't you just beef up our defenses while we…"

The door to the main command center opened and Dostya – wearing her light combat armor - stepped through: "I'm already here."

Urzu one hissed between his teeth: "Getting out of your ACU is risky! If we are attacked now…"

Dostya cut him off with a wave of her hand: "Then the mission would be over whether I was in my ACU or not. Redfog and Mather have yet to leave and we could not hold this base if we were discovered so soon. Now, what I want is for our troops to ferry the civilians out of their quarters and into the gymnasium. We'll do it progressively and sort them…"

"Why don't you let us handle the messy part," interrupted the Assumpta. A feral grin slowly spread on his lips as he added: "We'll keep the settlers in line."

Dostya looked at each of them in turn: "Let me make one thing clear: this is my command and you will obey my orders. We do things my way and that includes no needless killings of civilians or symbionts."

Urzu one shrugged: "I don't know what you're talking about. The dead symbiont in the corridor was a firefight incident with the station's operator. He stumbled on us, shot first, killed the zombie and then we dealt with him."

"Then explain this," said Dostya while pointing a finger. The assassin looked at the console behind him which was covered with traces of fresh blood. His mouth opened to offer a counter argument as he turned back to the ACU pilot, but a foot collided with his face before he could utter a word.

Dostya completed her roundhouse kick, satisfied that she had broken the assassin's nose. She ignored the weapons from the three other assassins that were now trained on her: "Is anyone else tempted to screw with me? Do you honestly think that I'll believe, even for a second, that any Cybran – never mind a trained one – could possibly fire any slower than a surprised UEF technician?"

Urzu one slowly got back to his feet while trying to stop his nose bleed: "I should kill you for that!"

Instead of backing off, Dostya stepped forward: "Give it your best shot. If you attack me and fail then know that I'm scrapping the mission and leaving you all here for Redfog to decide whether you're worth saving or not. If you attack me and somehow manage to kill me then the mission is scrapped and again you'll have to hope that Redfog is compassionate enough to bail you out."

The other assassins looked from Dostya to Urzu one a few times before finally holstering their weapons. The lead assassin was fuming, but did not move to strike her. Dostya held his gaze for a few seconds longer before speaking: "Now again, let me make this clear. We do things my way or not at all. I may tolerate mistakes, but disobey my orders or lie to me and you'll be walking all the way home. Am I perfectly clear?"

Dostya looked at the other assassins who nodded and then returned her unflinching gaze to Urzu one. He hesitated a few moments before nodding as well: "Understood."

"Good," said Dostya with an exasperated sigh: "We just wasted two minutes that we could not spare so I want you all to listen to me very carefully from this point on. Here are my orders and I expect all of you to follow them to the letter."

**XXXXX**

Mather grinned as he completed the second quantum gate. Dostya had kept her transmitter open during the confrontation to make sure that every assassin got the same message. Redfog's face appeared in the corner of his main monitor: "The remains of your previous base have been erased and the UEF won't be able to pick any trace. Your recruit does not waste any time now, does she?"

"Nope and this is on one of her good days," said Mather wryly: "You don't have a problem with that do you?"

If Redfog was upset, he was clearly not showing it: "As long as she fulfills her task and does not get in my way then I do not care how she does it. The same applies to everyone that I work with."

There was no mistaking the hidden threat behind the assassin's words. Redfog would cooperate for as long as they needed each other's help, but once the mission was over then it was back to business as usual… exactly as Mather had expected.

A confirmation appeared on his screen then and the Cybran nodded: "The gate complex is nearing completion. It's time to go."

**XXXXX**

"Welcome to the halls of absolution, children, and let me first present to you Evaluator Eldes," said Toth, obviously pleased.

The children bowed as one with their hands pressed to their chest which symbolized both respect and gratitude. Evaluator Eldes, a woman in her forties, bowed in turn and smiled: "Harmony to you all. We will be taking a journey together, but before we go, I have a message for you Evaluator Toth. It is from Keeper Pheris; she would like a word with you as soon as you are available."

Toth paused a moment to consider it and then nodded: "Very well, I will go and see her immediately. Please take good care of my charge while I am away."

Eldes smiled and bowed, clearly looking forward to the prospect. She turned to the children as Toth left the room: "What you are about to see today is the true goal of the Aeon Illuminate. I will lead you through the halls of absolution and present to you each room and those within. I will ask that you steady your hearts, however, as the war has left scars on many within and while we are doing our best to heal them, some are more profound than others. Now come."

She led them to another room where a giant screen covered the wall. She pressed a button and it rippled before displaying a top down view of the complex: "Humans are naturally resistant to change. Even beneficial changes can take a long of time before it is accepted. Like everything in life, however, true enlightenment cannot be forced upon an individual and he must choose to walk to path himself."

Eldes pressed another button and the image shifted even as she spoke: "Each room in this complex symbolizes a new step towards accepting The Way. The basic needs of the petitioners are fulfilled no matter the stage of development. Once a candidate is deemed ready, he is allowed to progress to the next room where his understanding of The Way can be broadened. A candidate is considered ready when his behavior is sufficiently under control in order to not disturb the others that are walking the same path. There is no time limit or pressure and each can find their path at their own pace."

Ariel presented both hands in front of her like a chalice, indicating that she had a question. The Evaluator nodded and she spoke: "What if a candidate becomes violent?"

"We are living through a war and many candidates had violent lives," observed Eldes, a trace of sadness slipping into her voice: "Psychological wounds are therefore expected and violence is a possibility. Some do not know any better and must be shown a different path. We take precautions, however, and only Evaluators and helpers trained in the art of self-defense are allowed in the first few rooms. As long as no permanent damage is dealt to an Aeon or to another candidate, however, then the learning process may continue."

Ariel lowered her hands and it was apparent that the notion of such a forgiving form of teaching did not appeal to her. Rhianne raised her hands in a similar fashion before asking her question: "Has such a process ever been attempted with Cybrans?"

Evaluator Eldes frowned for a moment as if remembering an unpleasant experience: "Cybrans are beyond enlightenment and they will remain a burden for us to cleanse for as long as they hold to their decadent ways. Humans use tools through their existence, but it is still their actions and not the tools that define who they are. A man can pick a shovel one day and a sword the next as situation demands, but neither tool defines him. Cybrans transgress that fundamental law by mixing their very minds and souls with technology and in effect, become a sentient tool. Do we expect a shovel to meditate or a sword to lend a hand? The answer is no and therefore tools that have a will of their own are an aberration and should be destroyed."

The Evaluator's voice grew gentler for a moment as if to appease the troubled girl: "Many times through the centuries, we have extended a hand in friendship to the Cybrans. Despite past transgressions, we have promised to take in their natural born children and protect them as if they were our own. That way, the Infinite War could end quickly with our full attention on the UEF and with the Cybrans fading away without violence. It would merely require that the Cybrans accept their destiny instead of continuing this travesty of reproducing sentient tools."

Satisfied, the older woman straightened and addressed everyone: "Now let us being our visit and please, remember to show both kindness and understanding to those who have yet to embrace The Way."

**XXXXX**

"Keeper Pheris, it has been a long time," said Toth warmly. She was in a small room with a single screen. Displayed on it was the Keeper of the station, a title given only to commanders assigned to guard Evaluators on the front line.

Pheris bowed her head in acknowledgment: "Evaluator Toth, it has indeed been many years. I will be brief: as much as I understand the need to test your candidates, I must ask you to leave as quickly as possible."

"Is there a problem that you wish to tell me about?" asked Toth, suddenly concerned. Keeper Pheris pressed a few keys, adjusting something in her ACU before speaking again: "The process of selecting an Avatar-of-War has caused Aeon redeployments through our entire sector. As each commander was given a chance to lead, some of our well established defenses had their best elements assigned elsewhere. I am confident of my abilities to stop a UEF attack, but should I falter then I do not know how soon we can expect reinforcements. I accept these risks willingly and yet I would rather not have the death of our future Princess on my hands."

Toth nodded, knowing where this was going: "Thank you for your honesty and believe me when I say that I understand the risks very well. It is precisely because of the selection of the next Avatar-of-War that I am here. I have delayed the process for as long as I could, but we are running out of time. We will need a strong and dedicated Princess to counter the presence of an Avatar-of-War or else all form of balance will be lost. Can I count on your support as I did in the past, Keeper Pheris?"

"It goes against my better judgment, Evaluator Toth, but I will do all that I can to keep you and your charge safe," answered the pilot while bowing her head. Toth nodded in gratitude and ended the transmission.

**XXXXX**

"Lieutenant General Riley, what are your thoughts on the parade yesterday? Did it meet your expectations?" asked the reporter while brandishing his microphone. Riley smiled back and another series of camera flash nearly blinded him: "I for one thought it was a splendid success! It's good to know that despite the war, so many people can come together and celebrate all that we stand for."

"What about the rumors that the heroes of Orionis were displeased?" asked another reporter. Riley made a show of sighing for everyone to see: "There is only one person to blame for this and I'm afraid that it's me. As much as I wanted the celebration to be a success, I did not want to compromise the security of Matar in the process. I'm afraid that the pilots were not warned of the celebration and as such, they were caught by surprise."

"These men are loyal and dedicated officers who thought that they were marching to war," explained Riley while lifting a hand: "Expecting a war and coming face to face with some R and R can unsettle even the best of us. Fortunately, I'm pleased to announce that once they digested the shock then they fully enjoyed the party. They might even have overdone it since they could not even be here this morning!"

The reporters at the press conference all laughed at the jest. Of course Riley had neglected to mention that they had been found dead drunk in their quarters which had brought most of his public relations plans crashing down.

Riley was still inwardly fuming about that, but another question interrupted him before he could dwell on it any further: "Lieutenant General, what are your thoughts on the Infinite War? Do you think that we can win?"

Riley actually took some time to think about that one before answering: "You know, I could bore you all with pretty speeches about numbers, new technologies or about our more efficient protocols, but instead I'd like to speak about something closer to home. It was actually something that I saw at the party and I'd like to tell you that story."

"Believe it or not, I stumbled on an ACU on that party, it was about this big," said the Lieutenant General while spreading his hands roughly thirty centimeters apart: "It was battered, bruised and showed many signs of patching. The pilot, a small child named Timmy, was busily assaulting the small cake platter not far away and the ACU was probably there to watch his back."

The crowd laughed and he continued: "I always want UEF soldiers to have the best possible equipment, so I offered the veteran pilot to replace his ACU for a new model. Do you know what he did?"

The whole room hushed and Riley played the moment before continuing: "He turned around - his mouth still caked with chocolate - dived towards his ACU, lifted its arm and shot me!"

This time the entire room was echoing with laughter and Riley had to lift his arm for some quiet: "Now you're probably wondering why I'm telling you the heroic tale of Timmy. Well I'll tell you this: a good way to judge a society is to look at their children. What I saw was not the chocolate or an old ACU but a soldier defending what he valued against unbelievable odds and temptation. If Timmy is a reflection of the heart of Matar then I can tell you that we have nothing to fear. In fact I'd pity anyone that tries to take that ACU from him!"

The room cheered and Riley smiled. He was pleased with the way that he had managed to divert the attention from the 'heroes' of Orionis. It still amazed him how public opinion could be shifted through the introduction of such a simple icon as a child. Morale was now at an all-time high and soon he would capitalize on it. With a few more publicity stunts, Timmy would become the key to his new campaign.

**XXXXX**

"This room is the fourth one that our initiates go through and it will be the first one that you will be allowed to visit," said Evaluator Eldes as she gestured forward: "To reach this room, an initiate must do many things such as discard his belongings, control his aggressive tendencies and learn about history. As you may notice this room is filled with a large number of plants and here they learn to care for another life."

One of the students signaled that she had a question and the Evaluator nodded: "How long does it usually take an initiate to reach this stage?"

"It depends on the candidate of course and usually the first room is the hardest," admitted Eldes with a sad nod: "For reasons that are alien to us, citizens of the UEF often develop an attachment to certain objects. Lockets, rings, tags and even every day clothes seem to be an integral part of their identity, status and mindset. It is strange habit, but every initiate that has passed that stage has confirmed that Aeon clothes were lighter, softer and warmer."

The students looked at each other and one quickly asked: "That cannot be real now can it? They are just clothes…"

The Evaluator chuckled softly: "Believe it or not, an initiate once waited four months in the first room because he was unwilling to part with a piece of undergarment that he referred to as 'boxers'. Strangely enough, the name that was inscribed on it was not even his own and further studies revealed that he was not the only one who had worn similar attire."

The students giggled, finding the whole concept almost too farfetched to believe. The Evaluator let the students enjoy the moment before speaking again: "Now we are about to enter and I want you all to be as careful as possible. They are still initiates and as such they do not understand The Way as clearly as we do."

Eldes' voice grew both serious and solemn as she added: "Try to help them along the path, but if you sense that you are not welcomed then excuse yourself and leave them alone. Some initiates need time and solitude to work past the trials of their past lives."

The doors opened and the Evaluator led the way into the room. The whole area was a huge garden with a variety of plants ranging from flowers to vegetables of all kinds. There were roughly fifty initiates moving through it either tending to the garden, talking or meditating.

Ariel waited to see where the others were going and then looked around for a candidate. She did not want one of those broken or simple minded UEF commoners, but someone with a grain of spirit that would prove to be a challenge. Her gaze finally settled on a muscled man at the other end of the room who was busily tending to a tomato plant, but a hand grasped her arm before she could take a step forward: "Not him, I do not believe that he is ready to listen."

Ariel turned around and saw that it was another student that was holding her arm: "What do you mean?"

"Look at the way that he is tending to the plant," insisted the other student with a concerned expression: "He is caring for it, but he is not seeing it. His body is here, but his mind is elsewhere; focused on events past. He lost someone…"

Ariel held back a sneer, convinced that the other student was making it up just to make herself feel important, but a voice interrupted them: "Rhianne? Could you come here for a moment?"

The student turned around and nodded, letting go of Ariel's arm and making her way towards Evaluator Toth who had just entered the room. Not one to shrink away from a challenge, Ariel made her way to the man regardless of the warning. She waited a moment, but he was either unaware of her presence or deliberately ignoring her.

"Did you lose someone important in the war?" asked Ariel, deciding to play her strongest card. The man stopped tending to the plant and Ariel smiled in triumph. Maybe Rhianne had guessed it right. If nothing else, it proved that Marxon was right and that studying many fields gave someone insights in other areas.

Not one to waste any time, Ariel pressed her advantage: "You should not be sad. Even unbelievers can be felt once you master The Way. Soon, you will forget all about the pain and find true peace."

The man turned towards her slowly with his gaze lowered. Ariel was about to add more, but before she could do so, he hurled a handful of dirt straight in her eyes. She cried out in pain and backed up a step, but a hand grasped her cloak and dragged her forward. Blinded, Ariel tried fending off the attack but she was twisted around and something sharp was placed under her neck. She froze in place even as she felt the sharp edge against her skin and the voice in her ear: "Do you think that I'll ever forget my boy?"

"John, stop!" pleaded Evaluator Eldes' as she made her way over. Ariel blinked a few times to clear the dirt from her eyes. The man tightened his hold on Ariel in response: "How can you even think that I would forget my boy! You are the ones who took him from me!"

Toth motioned the other students and initiates away to diffuse the situation while Eldes tried to calm him: "John please, the one that you are holding is but a child."

"So was my boy!" cried the man in outrage: "It did not stop you from destroying our home now, did it? It did not stop your mechanical monstrosities from stepping on him as if he was but a bug now, did it!"

Eldes looked down and saw that John had somehow managed to sharpen a rock and was holding it to the girl's throat. One wrong move and he would open her carotid before anyone could stop him. The Evaluator looked at the girl and expected her to be terrified, but instead she saw vivid anger in her eyes.

"She was just trying to help you John," said the Evaluator calmly. Part of her felt as though she had just stretched the truth and she quickly added: "She might have lacked some grace, but she was doing it for you."

The man cursed loudly and nearly spat the next words: "No one here asked for your help! The others might have forgotten who it was that destroyed their homes and their families, but I haven't! You may take away my clothes and my freedom, but you can never wrestle away the memories of my boy!"

"Thomas would have never wished you to," said Eldes softly, hoping that the name of the man's son would somehow calm him down. John lifted Ariel off the ground in response and his improvised weapon drew a line of blood: "Don't you ever say his name!"

Eldes was at a loss. She knew that soldiers were nearby and waiting for her signal, but odds were that John would slice the child's throat before they could rush in. She was still trying to find a peaceful solution when soft voice suddenly filled the air: "You loved him…"

The simple declaration made everyone turn their heads towards Rhianne who was standing apart from everyone: "You would have sacrificed everything to save him."

John twisted around while holding his hostage to get a better view of Rhianne: "You don't know anything about me."

"When I look at you, I can almost see him in your arms," said Rhianne, her voice laced with genuine sadness: "He loved you back so much that when he hugged you, he would put all of his strength into it. Sometimes it even hurt, but you were so glad for it."

Everyone stayed perfectly still as Rhianne took a step forward. Eldes sucked in her breath when John started to cry. Rhianne looked down at Ariel and back at John: "She said something concerning him, something that made that loss unbearable. Right now, the memory is so painful that it blocks out everything and all that you can think about is making others feel as you do."

John nodded slowly and Rhianne took another step forward: "What she said was mean, but it was because she lost someone as well. When I look at her, I see the ones that she loved and lost… just like you lost your boy."

If Ariel's eyes could be weapons then Rhianne could have sworn that lasers would be shooting her at this very moment, but she did not dwell on it: "Sometimes, it is hard to let go of the pain that we feel. Sometimes, it lashes out at those nearby until it finds someone that holds a similar burden and a conflict can finally erupt… and the pain is finally justified. Look at her eyes John… look at the pain that mirrors your own."

The man hesitated before finally twisting Ariel around while still holding the improvised knife to her throat. He gasped and his eyes widened as he finally saw a gaze that held the very same hatred, pain and loneliness as his own. Rhianne was by his side now, slowly bringing a hand over his own: "Please let go of the pain. Forever cherish the love that you nurtured and let it echo so that others can share in it. Please…"

The hand that held the knife began to shake until it finally lowered. Rhianne gently took the improvised weapon away and flicked it behind her. She placed a hand on John's shoulder and he finally collapsed, falling to his knees and crying profusely. The girl stayed by his side and comforted him by whispering soothing words and holding his arm.

Evaluator Eldes let out a breath that she had unconsciously held and made a few subtle hand motions, indicating to cancel the armed guards and instead send in two evaluators. They came discretely and delicately helped the man to his feet. They would take him to a meditating chamber where he would be free to grieve in private. John looked up just as he was escorted out. Rhianne smiled warmly and he smiled back between sobs.

The small girl turned around and met Ariel's gaze. She had saved her life, but in that moment, Rhianne knew that Ariel would never forgive her. She had unearthed a piece of her past without permission, something that she had spent years burying under layers of discipline and training. Both knew that the pain hidden there was unhealthy and yet Ariel hated her for trying to take it away. The realization saddened Rhianne and she lowered her gaze.

From the other side of the room Eldes made her way to Toth and spoke barely above a whisper: "Is she the one?"

Toth made a barely perceptible nod: "All of my hopes rest upon that child. In her I see The Way as it was truly meant to be."

Under different circumstances, such words might have brought accusations of heresy, but after seeing such a display, all that Eldes could do was nod.

**XXXXX**

The storm grew stronger, snow erasing the ACU's tracks in mere moments. Mather took the time to look at the raw data on his screen and frowned. This was not right, the Aeon defenses were relatively stable, but compared to what he was used to, they were kind of sloppy. Was it a trick or a way to exploit a Cybran who displayed a predictable attack pattern? This was almost too good to be true.

"It's not a trap," came the unexpected declaration. Redfog's voice made him jump in his seat and he cursed himself for his carelessness: "I fought Aeon before and their security has never been this horrible. So if it's not a trap then how did this happen?"

Mather's eyes narrowed when Redfog did not answer: "Listen, we're all alone here with no outside communication so it's time to be straight with me. What did your predecessor know?"

The assassin was still not looking at him, but he answered: "What makes you so sure that my predecessor knew anything? For all you know, I'm the one that had the answers all along."

"If you won't be straight with me then I'll be blunt," said Mather with a snort: "I fought alongside the one that held the title of Redfog before you. He was good, but he was so bloodthirsty that it scared the heck out of me."

That statement was hardly surprising as most people feared the Assumpta regardless, and so Mather went on: "I kept tabs on him afterwards and when he died, I kept tabs on you. You've held the title for the past four years, but you almost never attacked Aeon colonies. Like most Cybrans from the Assumpta, you kept attacking the UEF. So how the hell do you know so much about the Aeon?"

Mather could have sworn that Redfog was chuckling under his mask as he finally looked at him: "We caught one."

"Say that again?" asked Mather in surprise. The assassin nodded back: "You heard me; my predecessor caught an Aeon commander. Not a very high ranking one, unfortunately, but he kept him alive. For months he labored on him… torturing… interrogating… tempting. I was there when it happened."

Redfog shuddered, but Mather could not tell if it was in horror or pleasure. The gruesome tale soon went on: "My predecessor was relentless and he took his time to find out exactly how the Aeon mind worked. Do you want the details? Do you want to know how the prisoner screamed, prayed, cried and in time nearly begged for release?"

Mather shook his head and Redfog continued: "Then don't ask questions to which you do not want to hear the answer. Just be secure in the fact that I have waited years for the right time to apply this knowledge and that we will finally take the weapon that we deserve. And I… well I have been waiting for this opportunity my entire life!"

Mather felt his stomach twist at the sight of the madness in Redfog's eyes. It had been years since he had seen something like this and he half regretted coming along. Many would die before the end of the storm.

**Chapter 5 **

**A lasting impression **

"That was incredible, Rhianne" said one of the students excitedly: "The way that you touched his very being and awakened him, especially under such conditions!"

The students were surrounding and praising Rhianne from all sides. She tried to thank them and explain what she had experienced, but she could not truly grasp it herself. The only plausible explanation that came to mind was a simple one: she was gifted with the sight.

Every human that had ever been trained in The Way gained a form of enlightenment. Part of it was not really mystical, but rather a profound understanding of one's self. Such an understanding could neutralize the emotional barriers that impaired judgment and was the first step to truly feel empathy towards others.

A precious few developed the sight; the ability to catch glimpses of what really drove a person in the form of images, visions and feelings. The more complex or intense the emotion then the easier it was to pick up. The initiate might have been the one to have awakened from his pain, but it was Rhianne which had a door opened in her mind.

Ariel stood away from the other students, leaning against the wall as Evaluator Toth treated the wound on her neck. The older woman delicately cleaned it and then applied a bandage: "It is but a flesh wound, you will be fine."

The girl looked up at her with an angry expression: "That… man attacked a child and you will let him live? He should be cleansed for everyone's safety. I tried to help him and nearly got killed for it."

"Did you truly try to help him?" asked Toth, the tone of her voice betraying her skepticism.

Ariel's eyes widened in barely controlled anger: "I did not lie! I told him the truth when I said that he would be at peace once he mastered The Way."

Toth raised a hand to calm the child and looked straight into her eyes: "There is something that I would like you to think about very carefully. When you picked that initiate, spoke those words and reached out, did you do it for him or to prove something to yourself? Do not answer but merely think about it. Also…"

Evaluator Toth leaned down, picked up the improvised knife from the ground and placed it into Ariel's hand: "Take the time to think about what could possibly drive a man to make this."

Ariel lowered her head and swallowed her pride, knowing that she could not win this battle. During the whole time, only one thought crossed her mind: Marxon was right.

The Aeon Illuminate was spending far too much time reaching out to desperate cases. It was a waste of resources, a security risk and the reason why the Infinite War was still raging on. The spiritual wing might feel good about itself whenever they converted another UEF citizen, but what they could not see was the Aeon lives that were lost to make such redemption possible. The sight of the students flocking to Rhianne as if she had just performed a miracle now made Ariel sick to her stomach.

**XXXXX**

"Rhianne, are you all right? You look pale," echoed the question. Rhianne did not know who had asked, but she quickly realized that something was wrong. The room was spinning and the lights were growing darker. A pair of hands quickly grabbed and lowered her to the ground. Evaluator Toth appeared above her with a concerned look on her face: "Stay with us, Rhianne."

She felt tired and closed her eyes. Something dripped on her face and for a moment, Rhianne thought that it was raining. She felt the left side of her cheek grow warmer as well as if she had somehow fallen near a heating unit. She opened her eyes and saw that clouds filled sky instead of her fellow students. This was not possible: she knew that she was on Luthien in the halls of absolution and yet the rain that was falling on her felt so real.

Rhianne turned her head and saw an Aeon structure burning to her right. There was no doubt in her mind that this was a vision and a powerful one, but who was it from? Anyone trained in the Way should be relatively at peace. It was possible that it came from an initiate, but why would an Aeon structure be burning then? Were these her own fears?

Although she felt sluggish, Rhianne still managed to get to her feet. Deep down, she felt that this was important and it was her responsibility to determine if the images that she was seeing were from the past, present or future. She could recognize the structure now and it appeared to be a training facility for ACU pilots.

Something shifted behind her and she turned around. The girl gasped as she saw a Cybran step forth. The intense gaze was the same as the one from her past vision, but she could see him clearly now. He wore a light combat jumpsuit which indicated that he was an ACU pilot and a gas mask covered part of his face. Two Cybran commandos followed him, but it appeared that none of them could see her.

"There!" One of the Cybran commandos lifted his rifle and the other did the same. Rhianne turned in the direction of the fire and saw a shape moving through. It was but a shadow against the light, but as it moved forward, she could slowly make it out. The man had been horribly burned and flames still licked at his shoulder. An arm was barely hanging by a thread and yet somehow he still stood.

The shadow lifted its one remaining arm slowly and roared. Rhianne backed up a step and brought a hand to her chest as the sound echoed through the valley and tore her breath away. It was horrible; a pure expression of hate, anguish, pain and denial all at once. It was animalistic in nature and it was as if the raw emotion behind it could blow through anything. For lack of better words it was… inhuman.

"Beautiful…" said a voice behind her. The simple word was almost as horrible as the primal fury before her and Rhianne did not have to turn around to know that the Cybran pilot had been the one to say it. The worst part was that there had been no malice in his voice; only sincere and profound admiration.

"Master?" asked one of the commandos. The pilot's voice was unshaken as he delivered his orders: "Get the emergency medical unit. We're taking him with us."

**XXXXX**

Timmy woke up with a jolt and immediately reached for his worn ACU doll. His heart was beating furiously from the nightmare that he had just had. In it, the living room's sofa had tried to eat him. There was a noise from the other room which meant that his mother had probably awoken to check on the four year old boy.

The door opened, but instead of her usual sleepy self, Timmy's mother had a wild look about her: "Timmy, hide!"

Understanding that something was wrong, Timmy jumped down and crawled under his bed. A few seconds later, the door to his bedroom burst open and his mother cried out. There was a brief scuffle before an unknown shiny face peaked under the bed: "Looks like we have a rat."

The stranger made a grab for Timmy, but the boy bit his hand. The man cried out but reached out again, grabbing him by the leg and dragging him out. He held Timmy upside down to the sight of his horrified mother and shook him once for good measure: "You don't know how lucky you are."

The stranger then handed him to his mother who took a hold of him and held him close to her chest: "Get them out of my sight before I get angry."

A pair of hands grabbed Timmy's mother and pushed her towards the corridor. Urzu one cursed under his breath and started following when a voice stopped him: "A brawl with a child. I can already see the famed Assumpta courage in that one."

The assassin turned around and saw Bagby leaning against the wall: "Did everyone back at Node Fifty-Six develop the bad habit of getting out of their machine?"

The SCU pilot shrugged and showed the bottle vodka that he was holding: "My SCU just gated in and is being upgraded. I thought I'd do a little raiding of my own in the meantime and get some souvenirs. Still in a foul mood over the broken nose or do you need me to twist your arm again for the fun of it?"

The assassin balled his fist for a moment but simply sneered: "Don't bother. We'll comply with her orders for now. Just don't think for a moment that we're doing this for either of you."

It was Bagby's turn to sneer: "Right, right, it was probably just the thought of facing Redfog when the mission was scrubbed, right?"

"You just don't get it do you?" replied the assassin, his sneer transforming into a wicked smile and he took a step forward: "The mission would have gone ahead even without any of us. There is no stopping 'him' and you have no idea what he is capable of."

The assassin took another step forward and held Bagby's gaze for a few seconds: "I'm not afraid that Redfog would turn around… I'm afraid that he would have gone ahead through Hell and back… and then made me pay twenty fold whatever he would have endured. Now if you'll excuse me, we still have a lot of quarters to clear."

Urzu one barely inclined his head and left Bagby alone. The old man considered this for a few moments before bringing his transmitter up: "Hey D, they are following your orders for now. You were right though; they are a lot more afraid of Redfog than anything else. Maybe the next time that you kick one, you should do it in the nuts."

"Good work, Bagby," answered Dostya quickly: "Now get back to your SCU; we need to hide it as soon as it's upgraded."

Bagby nodded and then remembered something: "Oh and D, I found something in one of those top official's quarters: a good bottle of Vodka! I'll be saving this one for when we win."

**XXXXX**

They stood in the gymnasium, each having been taken there in turn by the Cybrans. Lining the walls were scores of Mech Marines which had been constructed by a captured UEF ground facility. The machines stood impassively with their weapons trained on the seven hundred settlers.

One of the Cybrans stepped into the room, laid down a projector and aimed it at the nearby wall. It burst to life immediately and the face of another Cybran appeared. Her gaze was hard and the circuitry that covered half of her face made her look both terrifying and strangely beautiful all at once: "Citizens of the United Earth Federation, this facility and all of its infrastructures are now under Cybran control. If you attempt to thwart us then appropriate violence will be applied. What we are after, however, is not yours so if everything goes smoothly then no blood will be spilled."

The Cybran commander left them a moment to digest this before speaking again: "Your basic needs will be met as long as you comply. Your children and some of their parents have been assigned to another section of this complex both to meet their more specific needs and to insure your cooperation. I expect you to select two representatives within the hour. I have little time to waste so I suggest selecting people that are direct. That is all."

The transmission was terminated instantly. Dostya sighed deeply from within the cockpit of her ACU. She hated taking hostage, but there had been no other choice. Presenting a firm and implacable front now might stop any rebellion efforts on their parts. All traces of the original attack from the three ACUs had been erased or repaired. Dostya had even captured some low level UEF engineers and was using those to add a few power generators. With her cloaking device fully active and their sophisticated programs managing the settlement's communications array then there was no way for anyone to know that they were here.

Deep down, however, Dostya felt guilty about one thing. Despite the hardships and moral dilemma that she was facing, part of her thoughts were focused on Mather and hoping that he was safe.

**XXXXX**

Mather tapped the edge of his screen and tried not to look at the clock. They had been ready for a while now, but Redfog had suddenly told him to wait before cutting off all communications. Three minutes had passed since then and every second that they waited was one where they risked being detected. The screen finally light up and the assassin's face appeared: "There, I am ready."

"I don't suppose that you'd care to tell me what you were doing?" asked Mather, a trace of sarcasm slipping into his voice. To his surprise, Redfog answered immediately: "I was remembering something."

The assassin left it at that and Mather did not press the point. He was getting used to the notion of not asking the wrong questions.

**XXXXX**

"She is regaining consciousness," said Toth with a sigh of relief. She then gestured for the other students to step back: "Give her some room."

The Evaluator watched as Rhianne opened her eyes wide in horror and trashed around. Eldes tried to calm her while Toth held her face delicately with both hands: "It is all right Rhianne, we are all here."

The girl regained control, but there was no mistaking the horrified look in her eyes. Toth looked from her to Eldes and the two evaluators locked gaze: "Eldes?"

Toth's gaze shifted from Rhianne, to the room and finally to the initiates standing far away before looking back at the other Evaluator. The question was left unasked, but Eldes understood clearly and shook her head. Toth took a moment to digest it: "Take care of her for a moment."

Evaluator Toth stood up and walked away. It had been a vision, of that she was certain, and she held no doubt that Eldes agreed. The girl's panicked look clearly showed that it had been a violent one and the meaningful gaze that she had exchanged with Eldes had been but a simple question: could any person or anything in the facility have been the source?

Toth made her way out of the chamber and into a more private corridor. She then quickly took the transmitter from her belt: "Keeper Pheris, please respond. This is an emergency."

The response came immediately: "I am here, Evaluator Toth. Is there a problem?"

"Has there been any enemy sign in the sector or anything even remotely suspicious?" asked the Evaluator while doing her best to mask her concerns.

Pheris' voice was immediately alert on the other end: "Negative, Evaluator Toth. Patrols have turned up empty handed and no unauthorized quantum communications have been detected."

Toth hesitated a moment longer: "Please call for reinforcements immediately. It may be nothing, but we just had an ill omen down here."

"Understood. I am forwarding your request now," said the Keeper, her voice trailing off as she carried out the command. When she spoke again, her voice was filled with apprehension: "This is strange. Everything here shows that my signal is transmitting and yet I'm not receiving an acknowledgement. Switching to the emergency channel."

Toth heard the distant sound of an explosion and gripped her transmitter even tighter. Pheris' tone grew urgent: "Evaluator Toth, please take your students to an emergency ground transport and head towards the quantum gate as quickly as you can! Our communication's link with Seraphim Two has been hacked and we are under attack! I repeat: escape through the quantum gate as quickly as you can. I do not know how long I can…"

The transmitter suddenly burst into static.

**XXXXX**

Keeper Pheris cursed under her breath and queued in the construction of both ground and air units. It was bad enough that the enemy had attacked when Evaluator Toth and her students were here, but they had somehow hacked her quantum communications from under her nose. The probability of either event was unlikely and the combination of both seemed impossible. The whole attack stank of Cybran precision and although she did not like to admit it, there was also the possibility of treason.

A jamming field had been erected as soon as the ruse had been uncovered and it would take a while before any other Aeon unit would notice the silence. Still, as long as Toth and her charge left the base then there was hope. Pheris opened a channel on all frequencies: "Come, little Cybran. I am waiting for you."

The reaction was almost instantaneous with multiple signatures appearing on radar towards the southern side of her base. Judging from the speed, they appeared to be a group of mantis with vipers moving at different intervals. There were apparently a lot of renegade type gunships moving as well, but as long as she kept her forces in the safety of her base then those could be handled. She tried to send a few scouts around to get some intelligence, but they were intercepted by a squadron of stealth Gemini fighters before they could get very far.

"What are you trying to hide?" asked Pheris even though she knew that the Cybran would not answer. The signatures on her radar increased exponentially and there were now signals coming from all around her base. The sheer number of units suggested that there was more than one ACU out there which meant that she was badly outmatched. She now focused all of her ground units and engineering forces to the edge of her base and prepared for the inevitable.

A green light suddenly lit up on the side of her panel and the screen focused on a transport that was now leaving the halls of absolution. Pheris whispered a prayer under her breath and smiled: "God speed Toth. Save these children."

**XXXXX**

Evaluator Eldes pushed the small transport to its limits and headed straight to the quantum gate. Meanwhile, at the back of the transport, Toth was reassuring her students: "We will soon enter the quantum gate. I want everyone to assume crash positions and cover their heads. We may be in for…"

"No!" cried Rhianne while pointing towards the window. Toth spared a look outside, but there was nothing out there and the shields were not even under attack yet. If all went well then they would cross the gate in less than a minute. Her gaze dropped for a moment and her eyes widened. There was nothing out there except a series of ACU tracks in the snow.

**XXXXX**

The Cybran forces waited barely outside of artillery range and Pheris wondered what they were up to. Her gaze went repeatedly from her radar, main screen and the transport in quick succession. Her heart skipped a beat when the transport suddenly flew in the air as if something had kicked it aside. She was in the process of selecting her ground forces when her transmitter lit up: "Move any of your forces and they die."

Pheris gasped, but had the presence of mind to open the channel: "They would become one with The Way."

Although it was true, the statement was as much as a bluff as Pheris had ever made. Unfortunately, whoever was on the other end appeared to know it as well: "The next Princess of the Aeon Illuminate would be one with The Way…"

Pheris tried to think of an alternative, but there were none. The cloaked Cybran unit had somehow managed to slip under her defenses and move in position to intercept the transport while she took care of the perimeter defense. She might be able to destroy the enemy commander by firing blindly, but she held no doubt that the transport would be destroyed before her artillery could even twist around. She could not risk the life of the future Princess nor could she surrender, which left her with but one option.

"You know what you have to do," came the mechanical voice, mirroring the thoughts that tugged at her heart. The Keeper slowly brought up the command for the self-destruct device of her ACU and entered the code. She looked up briefly before entering the final sequence: "Forgive me, Toth."

**XXXXX**

"Thank you sergeant, I think that I can handle it from here," said Riley while dismissing his subordinate. He then stepped into Arnold's quarters and frowned darkly. The smell of booze permeated the small apartment, but he ignored it, focusing instead on the two officers who were grinning stupidly back at him from the sofa: "You two have been nothing but a headache since you stepped on Matar."

Arnold and Desjar looked at each other a second before bursting out in laughter: "What can we say sir… you threw one heck of a good party!"

Riley did not rise to the bait. Instead, he picked up a chair, set it in front of them and sat down: "What do I need to do to get the two of you to behave for one ceremony?"

The two pilots quieted instantly and Arnold tried to straighten his shirt: "Sir?"

"You're too much of an idiot to take advantage of the opportunity that I gave you," said Riley angrily: "But you're not enough of a moron to ignore the consequences of what I did. I can't demote or otherwise blame you without destroying all the work that I did and you know it. Every man has his price, however, so what must I do to get you to behave for just one ceremony?"

There was a long silence before Arnold realized that this was serious: "Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted," said Riley, easily dismissing the formality now that they were in private. Arnold took a second to collect his thoughts before speaking: "Get us out of the spotlight and back to the front and we'll call it even. We don't want any of that crap publicity stuff."

The Lieutenant General stood motionless for a moment: "Then that next ceremony will be specifically about that. I'll get you out of the spotlight, as you call it, but Matar will be part of the front line soon enough."

Riley got up and looked at the two of them: "As for this 'crap publicity stuff' then know this: I did not call the two of you on Matar just for show. We're about to turn the tide of the war and the people's morale will be the initial momentum that we will use to crush the Aeon and the Cybrans. A great battle will be won here, you'll see."

**XXXXX**

Evaluator Toth's head pounded painfully and she brought a hand up to touch her forehead. She felt some blood there, but a hand grabbed her own before she could probe the wound further: "Lie still. You suffered a small concussion from the impact. Part of the window frame grazed your head, but you should be ok."

"Eldes?" asked Toth in confusion, momentarily failing to recognize the voice. Her heart quickened when she remembered where they were: "Are the children safe? Where is Pheris?"

A wet rag was placed on her forehead even as Eldes spoke: "The children are fine; some bruises and cuts from the impact, but nothing serious. Pheris did not make it though. She self-destructed not long after we were knocked off course. It is as if the Cybrans knew how important we were and threatened to kill us. May she live on in The Way."

Suddenly, the insect like arms of a Cybran transport latched on to their vehicle as if to confirm Eldes' words. Toth looked around and then back at Eldes as they were lifted off the ground: "Start explaining everything to them."

Eldes nodded and then gazed towards Rhianne who had been sitting patiently the whole time: "I will let you explain it to her."

Eldes left even as Rhianne came forward: "Explain what?"

Toth smiled reassuringly, hoping to share her strength with the sweet and innocent girl: "Rhianne, the Cybrans have obviously gone through a lot of trouble to capture us, but it should be me and Eldes that they are after and not you. A smart man could in time piece together the importance of the Evaluators. However, for centuries we have kept our duties involving our students a secret and in written form only. Not a word has ever been transmitted or saved electronically."

Rhianne blinked away a tear as Toth came closer and whispered in her ear: "No matter what you see, hear or even feel… don't try anything. What will happen to us is part of our duty. Do you understand that? Your task is to survive through this ordeal."

Rhianne hesitated a long time, wishing nothing more than to deny what was happening and take hold of her mentor. She finally nodded and Toth smiled before kissing her on the forehead.

They flew for a while longer before the transport lowered them to the ground again. Everything stayed silent for a few moments before the rear door of their vehicle was torn apart. A mantis gazed through the opening, scanning the room once before retreating. It was soon replaced by a Cybran whose mere presence could be felt by everyone. He just stood there with a sword in hand and a mask covering the lower half of his face. A vision made flesh straight out of Rhianne's nightmares.

Evaluator Toth and Eldes stepped forward with their hands folded in the universal pose of peace. The abomination looked at them for a while before nodding: "This way."

The Evaluators bowed their heads in submission and moved forward. When they were gone, the Cybran peaked in one last time: "The sentries outside will kill anyone trying to escape."

With that, he left and Rhianne shuddered, truly afraid of the monster that now had them in his clutches.

**Chapter 6 **

**Relentless **

Mather could feel cold sweat forming on his brows. He was sitting in his ACU in the middle of his base with his cloaking field fully active. The Aeon transport was displayed on his main screen and he saw Redfog get out of it with two women in tow. A quick switch to his infrared scanners showed that those who had been left behind were merely children.

For a moment, Mather thought that maybe Redfog had made a mistake, but he walked like a person who was following a very specific plan. That and Mather had seen the Aeon ACU self-destruct with his own eyes. In all of his life, he had never heard of such a thing which meant that somehow those two civilians were very important. He hesitated a moment longer before reaching out and opening a channel to the Assassin. He saw the assassin bring a hand to his ear.

"I estimate that I can fool the Aeon into thinking that they had a communication's glitch for an hour, maybe two," said Mather. The pilot double checked his sensors before adding: "After that, I can probably keep them guessing a while longer as to the source of the attack and our location through some creative means. Overall, I think we have between seven and twelve hours before they find us... if this causes a problem with whatever you're doing then tell me now."

The assassin did not stop walking and was heading towards a facility that he had built with his ACU a few minutes ago: "You do your part and I'll do mine."

**XXXXX**

Ariel fiddled with the improvised stone knife in frustration. The Cybran had never stepped close enough for her to use it and part of her had wished for that chance. To some, it might have seemed incredulous that she could win with such a weapon, but to her, it all made perfect sense. Judging by his jump suit, the abomination that had visited them was also the ACU pilot. The fact that only mechanical sentries were around suggested that he might also be alone. If the pilot was taken out without the sentries being reprogrammed then their rescue would be assured once their home world realized that they were missing. Unfortunately, that opportunity was gone for now.

She looked around and saw that most of the other students were afraid and some were even crying. The display of weakness annoyed her slightly, but on a pragmatic level, Ariel knew that they were younger and had not combat training like her. She stood up and spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear: "I want everyone to listen to me. We do not know how long we will be in here and we should take every measure to stay safe. Warmth is a priority and I want you all to gather around in a circle to help preserve heat. Those that are smaller should be in the center for now."

There was a moment of stunned silence as everyone looked at her. The students then got up and moved together as Ariel had instructed. She felt pride at having taken control of the situation and she looked at Rhianne to see if the Evaluator's protégé was jealous. To her annoyance, Rhianne's mind was obviously elsewhere, her gaze fixed in the direction where Evaluator Toth and Eldes had been taken.

**XXXXX**

"I do not like this," came the soft observation. The Aeon commander that was in charge of Seraphim Two's command center paused and turned towards the technician: "Is there a problem?"

The technician that was manning the communication's console for Luthien turned to her superior and shook her head: "Not really commander Chlet. I have just received a text transmission from Commander Pheris; she says that her communication's array was damaged in a recent storm and expects that repairs will take a few hours."

"Luthien is prone to violent storms that can damage the strongest equipment," observed the Aeon commander while nodding reassuringly: "It is natural that she would want to repair her defensive systems prior to reestablishing a full link."

The technician lowered her gaze a bit: "But Evaluator Toth is there along with her students. It is unlike Pheris to take such risks when so much as at stake. I'd expect her to call for backup if the facility was seriously damaged."

The commander gave it some serious thought, but there was more at stake than met the eye. At this very moment, some of the greatest Aeon commanders were going through the ritual of rebirth in order to select the next Avatar-of-War. It was only natural that the Evaluators were trying to select the next Princess of the Aeon Illuminate as quickly as possible under such conditions. Maybe Pheris was taking greater risks as a personal favor to Evaluator Toth, but still…

"Monitor the situation closely," ordered the Commander. She transmitted a few orders on her console as she added: "If total communications are not restored within the hour then I will go to Luthien myself and assist Keeper Pheris."

**XXXXX**

"What do you want with us?" asked Toth, her voice calm despite their predicament. The Cybran led both Evaluators down the corridor of the unusual building with his sword nestled comfortable on his shoulders. A door opened in front of them which exposed a room with a series of four chairs: "Sit."

Toth and Eldes hesitated a moment, but then moved forward. Their purpose was not to oppose the Cybran for they were not warriors, but only to resist him for as long as possible. Every moment that the abomination's attention was on them was a moment where their students were safe. They each sat in a chair and mechanized straps closed on their limbs automatically. Movement became all but impossible and they had to resist their instinctual urges to panic.

"You went through a lot of trouble to do this but to what end?" asked Eldes even as the Cybran moved towards her. He took some kind of metallic tape and pressed it on her mouth to seal it shut. Once that was done he fetched a flat container which had been strapped to his leg and opened it, revealing a collection of torture instruments.

The Cybran went to work without warning, plunging a blade in the back of Eldes' hand and opening it wide. A muffled cry came from the Evaluator and only intensified when the Cybran brought a second instrument which glowed red to cauterize the wound.

Evaluator Toth closed her eyes for a moment. She had known that torture was distinct possibility, but no amount of forethought could have prepared her for what followed. The Cybran did not ask any questions nor respond to any of her protests. He seemed purely focused on his work which was to take Eldes apart piece by piece.

**XXXXX**

"Commander Dostya, we have a problem," said one of the Assumpta assassins who was stationed in the settlement's control center: "We have an upcoming call from Lieutenant General Riley; he wishes to talk to the director in charge of the settlement."

Dostya cursed under her breath. Things had gone so well up until now and even the UEF citizens were under control. The two delegates that she had talked to a few minutes ago had made some reasonable demands… once they realized that their attempts to bribe her had fallen on deaf ears. A high ranking UEF officer was another matter, however, and Dostya quickly worked out a plan: "Make him wait two minutes, Urzu twelve, and then forward him to me."

Dostya activated her search engine, trying to gleam as much information about the UEF commander prior to opening a link while also adjusting her chameleon software. When she was satisfied that she had all the information that she required, she opened a link: "Good evening, Lieutenant General Riley, and my apologies for the wait. Can we assist you?"

Although she was still sitting in her ACU, the chameleon software transformed her image and voice based on the records of the settlement's director. As long as there were no personal questions then the chameleon software could fool almost anybody. The UEF officer smiled: "Actually you can. I will be coming tomorrow morning at zero eight hundred with the heroes of Orionis in tow. Your settlement is due for a security upgrade and we'll be handling that one personally. We'll be coming through the sea so there's no need to prepare the local quantum gate for our arrival."

"We're honored, sir," said Dostya while faking a smile. Her mind spun quickly as she searched for a protest that a civilian would do: "But isn't the deployment of so many ACUs for that task a bit excessive?"

The Lieutenant General waved the question away while chuckling: "There's nothing like a little field work to keep your feet on the ground, but there is one favor that I would ask. We will be holding a little ceremony when we're done. Nothing fancy mind you, but I would like it if you could convince Timmy Tural and his mother to attend it. His citizen number is Matar seven, eight, eight, eight, zero. We will have a present for him that we're sure he'll enjoy."

Dostya hesitated for a split second and then nodded, her chameleon program transmitting the image faithfully: "I'll see to it personally, sir."

The officer nodded and smiled again: "Very good. Riley out."

Dostya waited a moment before opening another channel: "This is Dostya hailing all Cybrans. We'll have UEF forces incoming in the next nine hours so I want everyone ready by then. Also find Timmy Tural and his mother; they are connected to all of this somehow."

She closed of the channel and pressed her fingers anxiously together. Dostya then searched the local public news network for any information that would be pertinent concerning the so called heroes of Orionis. What she found was a name that she had not seen in the past three years: Zachary Arnold.

The UEF pilot was the man that had killed half of Keith's commando team and the one that had nearly killed her as well during her rescue on Earth. They had lost track of him mainly because the UEF commander operated in Aeon contested sectors. It was really amazing how small the galaxy was these days.

A light blinked on Dostya's right which indicated that one of the Assumpta assassins was hailing her. She opened a channel and to her surprise, she saw a woman cradling a sleeping child in her arms. Urzu twelve was behind them with a laser rifle at the ready.

"Commander Dostya, these are the ones that you wished to see," said the assassin, the wickedness in his eyes clearly revealing that he would happily carry out their execution. A moment of stunned silence followed as Dostya tried to make sense of it all. She had expected the boy to be an ACU trainee or maybe some spoiled brat from a high ranking officer. Judging by their clothes, however, they were nothing more than average citizens.

"Why is Lieutenant General Riley after the two of you?" asked Dostya bluntly, having no time to waste. The woman hesitated a moment as if trying to find the courage to answer. The assassin behind her brandished his weapon with a snarl: "Answer her!"

"Enough, Urzu twelve!" Snapped Dostya back. Interrogating an enemy officer was one thing, but harming innocent civilians was another. Dostya would have none of that on her watch: "Please, Miss Tural, we must know why Commander Riley is after you."

The woman hesitated a few seconds longer before she finally managed to master her fear: "He… he just saw Timmy at the celebration not long ago. The Lieutenant General spoke of him on public television and how he represented the heart of Matar. My boy has nothing to do with any of this though. Please let us go."

Dostya pressed a few buttons and created a query that searched through every public channel from the past few hours. It took a moment before the recorded news feed was found and she took the time to watch it completely before turning back to her prisoners: "I'm sorry miss Tural, but I'm afraid that I can't let any of you go just yet."

The woman scrambled forward for a moment with a desperate look in her eyes: "Please, let Timmy go at least. I'd do anything for him!"

The sudden jolt woke up the child who rubbed his eyes slowly. Dostya looked from the mother to the child a few times: "Do you really mean that, miss Tural?"

The woman nodded vigorously and Dostya took a few moments to consider it: "Very well, I'll take it under consideration."

Dostya then turned her attention back to the assassin: "Have them escorted back to their holding area and make sure that they have everything they need."

Urzu twelve motioned for one of the other assassins to take them away and waited until they were gone before approaching the transmitter: "Commander, they are our safeguard against UEF attacks! We can't let any of them go until Redfog and Mather are back from their mission! If we just execute a few of them and threaten to kill more then the UEF will have no other choice but to back off."

"We don't need hostages; all that we need is time," answered Dostya back harshly. The last thing that she needed was to have a few Assumptas running around making 'examples' and she had to quickly show that she had things well in hand: "If we hold on too tightly then the UEF is liable to bomb our position and label any casualties as collateral damage or worse as martyrs. There's a weapon in the UEF arsenal that they have constantly used through the ages and I think it's about time that we turn it against them."

Without offering any other explanation Dostya closed off the channel and opened another one: "Bagby, get ready to do your thing. We have an incoming UEF fleet."

**XXXXX**

There was a flash of light followed by an explosion in the middle of the icy plain of Luthien. A cloud of super-heated water rose briefly before falling back on the Aeon ACU and hardening instantly. The thin layer of ice shattered as the giant moved around, freeing itself from the icy puddle that its arrival had created.

"This is commander Chlet hailing Keeper Pheris, please respond," said the Aeon pilot while recalibrating her sensors. There was a moment of silence before an audio link was finally established: "This is Keeper Pheris."

The Aeon commander heaved a sigh of relief and started moving towards Pheris' settlement: "You had us worried, Keeper. We thought that your communication's array would have been fixed by now."

"My apologies, commander Chlet," answered the other pilot: "We had a few other problems over here and we could use your assistance. Transmit your coordinates and I will send a transport to pick you up."

The Aeon commander typed in the sequence, but hesitated just as she was about to send them. Maybe it was just her imagination, but the intonation in Pheris' voice sounded wrong. She had precious few contacts with the Keeper, but from what she remembered, the tone of her voice was usually sharper than this. Deciding that it may simply be her fears playing tricks on her, commander Chlet sent her coordinates and opened a channel to Seraphim Two. To her annoyance, her computer could not open a link.

"Keeper Pheris, I can't establish a link with Seraphim Two for some reason," said Chlet while running a diagnostic: "Could you forward my transmission?"

A signal suddenly appeared on her limited radar and she barely had the time to blink before a trio of revenant strategic bombers passed above her and dropped their payloads of neutron bombs. The following explosion illuminated the entire valley and left a large crater where the ACU had been.

Back at his secured base many kilometers away, Mather rubbed the back of his neck and disengaged the chameleon program that he had used to disguise his transmission. He then sent a short burst transmission to Redfog: "We've been detected; beginning decoy tactics."

**XXXXX**

Seven hours had passed since the beginning of the interrogation…

What remained of Eldes was barely recognizable and yet she was kept alive by a number of tubes which pierced her body. Her limbs had either been progressively taken apart or mutilated beyond any functionality. Vital organs lay exposed but still struggled to function.

Through it all, the Cybran had been relentless, remorseless and without mercy. Worst still, he had remained silent and had not bothered to ask a single question or offer any ultimatums. Toth silently prayed for forgiveness and only hoped that Eldes would soon be granted a merciful death.

"Now we talk," said the Cybran, interrupting Toth's anguished prayers. The Evaluator opened her eyes and saw the Cybran standing above her with his hands still dripping with blood: "You are a monster!"

"Yes," answered the Cybran simply. Toth's eyes widened as the abomination went on: "I am glad that these past hours have not been a waste."

Toth gasped as she suddenly realized what the Cybran's goal had been: "You did all of this to prove that you were a monster?"

"It would be impossible to convince you of my determination otherwise," observed the Cybran with a casual shrug. His narrowed again as he gazed right through the Evaluator: "And now…"

The Cybran pressed a series of keys on his left forearm and a screen at the back of the room lit up. It appeared to be the visual display from one of the units patrolling around the Aeon transport. Before Toth's horrified gaze, the unit moved towards it and through the rear hatch which had previously been torn apart. Once inside, it stopped, its visual display focusing on one student before switching to another.

Without warning, the Cybran reached forward and grasped both of Toth's hands, pressing his fingers against her wrist to check her radial pulse. His grasp was unyielding and incredibly cold: "Now tell me who you truly care for amongst these girls?"

Toth felt her heartbeat quicken as the display switched from one frightened student to the next. The display finally focused on Rhianne's face and she felt her heart skip a beat.

"Stop," barked the Cybran suddenly, his eyes narrowing into slits as he issued another verbal command to the unit: "Go back."

The display was in the process of switching to another student, but instead came back and focused on Rhianne's face once again. The Cybran appeared to smile under his mask: "Ah… so she is the next Princess of the Aeon Illuminate."

"How can you possibly know about that?" asked Toth in a whisper, the unfamiliar feeling of terror slowly worming its way into her heart. The Cybran chuckled, appearing amused by Toth's distress: "I know more than you can imagine, Evaluator Toth, but that is not the question. The only question that you need to concern yourself about is this: will you give us what we want or must I bring this girl here to take the place of your friend?"

Toth turned a horrified look upon the Cybran: "You do not know what you are doing! She is the last best hope for peace for everyone, including the Cybran Nation. Without her, people like Marxon will cleanse the galaxy unchecked."

The Evaluator's eyes begged for mercy as she tried to explain: "Do you understand what I am saying? Harming her would destroy everything and everyone."

"I don't care," answered the Cybran. The simple declaration hit Toth like a slap in the face and yet by looking at that set of unwavering eyes, she knew that he meant it. He would strap Rhianne to that chair and destroy her one piece at a time without hesitation if it fulfilled his goals. Something broke inside Toth and she let out a trembling breath: "What do you want?"

"We want the schematics of the Galactic Colossus," answered the Cybran coldly, almost as if he was merely speaking about any normal business deal: "I know that only the highest members of the Aeon Illuminate can access and unlock them."

The Cybran pressed a button on his wrist computer and the strap that held the Evaluator's left arm was released. He then unhooked his wrist computer and presented it before her: "You know what happens if you try anything else."

The ominous tone of the Cybran's voice left Toth no doubt that he would carry through with his threat if she did not unlock the schematic at this very moment. She slowly brought her hand up and entered her codes to access the Aeon's quantum network. The Evaluator had to steady herself for if a single mistake was made then her entry would be classified as a hacking attempt and her account would be locked. It took her a few moments to do it, but soon enough, the Galactic Colossus schematic's was being downloaded.

The Cybran checked his wrist computer to confirm the download and smiled under his mask: "Thank you."

With that, he slapped the device back on his wrist, stretched lazily and turned around to leave the room. Although she felt numb for betraying one of her most sacred duties, Toth still had the presence of mind to hold on to the present: "Now that you have what you wanted, there is no reason to keep my students here any longer. Please let them go."

The Cybran stopped, but did not turn around: "What I wanted? You seem to have misunderstood me. The plans were the excuse that I needed to justify this operation. They will be useful, yes, but they were not what I 'really' wanted."

The Cybran turned around with an uncompromising look in his eyes: "'She' is the one that has what I want."

Without any further word, he left while Toth struggled in vain against her bonds.

**Chapter 7 **

**Destiny **

Pao gently tapped Lani's shoulder and placed the cup of tea in front of her. Lani was startled out of her slumber, but quickly nodded her thanks, grabbed the cup and took a sip: "Thank you. How long have I been sleeping?"

"Roughly four hours, but you looked like you needed it," observed Pao gently. The Aeon pilot then took a seat next to her sister: "There has not been any news of Marxon yet either."

Lani sighed and drank some more. The two sisters were sitting in the middle of a large garden overlooking the halls where the ritual of rebirth was taking place. They were not the only ones there and many commanders, SCU pilots and Evaluators waited anxiously to see who would become the next Avatar-of-War.

"Only one commander has left the ritual of rebirth so far," observed Lani thoughtfully: "It has only been a day and Marxon needs to remain four more in there. I cannot imagine what it is like facing yourself for that long."

Pao smiled, knowing exactly what was going through her sister's mind: "We all did things that we are not proud of. It is when we carry on while bearing those memories that we show true strength."

Lani was about to say something more when a buzzing of activity behind them interrupted her. Both looked back to see commanders and Evaluators whispering amongst themselves. Curious, they got to their feet and moved towards the crowd, catching words like 'Luthien', 'attack' and 'disaster'. Lani spotted an Evaluator that was looking around anxiously and humbly asked her a question by holding both hands in front of her like a chalice: "Could you please tell us what is troubling so many here?"

"The halls of absolution on Luthien were attacked," said the Evaluator in distress, forgetting to offer a proper greeting: "A team of commanders gated over and found the wreckage from Keeper Pheris and commander Chlet's ACUs. Evaluator Toth and her students are missing and the few that were spared at the halls of absolution confirmed that their transport was taken away by Cybrans."

Lani looked at Pao anxiously as the other pilot asked the next obvious questions: "Can we be of any assistance in tracking them down? We would like to help however we can."

The Evaluator shook her head quickly: "We do not know what to do. Tracking the Cybrans is one thing, but what would happen if we reach them or if they are off world? What if the Cybrans know the value of what they hold and threaten to kill the children? No commander here would risk the lives of those that could be destined to become the next Princess of the Aeon Illuminate. The only ones that could be trusted with such a task are in there."

The Evaluator motioned towards the halls where the ritual of rebirth was taking place with a mournful look in her eyes. Lani followed the motion and her mind invariably switched to more practical matters: "The worst part is that the ritual cannot be interrupted by anyone and if we wait four days then the children are as good as gone."

The pilots almost regretted her words for they obviously pained the Evaluator. A surprised gasp from the entrance to the garden suddenly caught their attention as those in front fell back to make room. Miranda Burke, the current Princess of the Aeon Illuminate, had just arrived.

**XXXXX**

"This is such a waste of time," grumbled Arnold impatiently: "The only way that this trip could get any slower is if we walked there… and all of this is to make a good impression?"

Arnold absentmindedly touched the side of his clean shaven face and cursed at their predicament. Desjar's eyes suddenly widened and he straightened his shirt quickly. The ACU pilot groaned and slapped his forehead: "And Riley is just behind me, isn't he?"

The Lieutenant General passed by Arnold and headed towards the stored ACUs. Instead of using the quantum gates or air lifting their command units along the way, Riley had opted to use a modified version of the Atlantis submarine. The Atlantis' automated refineries had been removed in order to house up to four command units. The setup was crude but functional.

"I can appreciate a direct approach as much as anyone, commander Arnold, but there is more to this then mere first impressions," observed Riley as he jumped on the leg of his ACU and turned to them: "If you take the same route every time then a pattern eventually forms. Do it too often and someone will eventually place a trap. Try operating a few years near Cybran territory and you'll either learn to change your habits or you won't come back. Break time is over."

Arnold and Desjar went to their respective machines and took them off their standby mode. Although he was still in a foul mood just for being in the same boat as Riley, Arnold had to admit that the perks of being able to stretch his legs and go to a real bathroom every few hours were appreciated.

"You operated in Cybran territory, Commander Riley?" came the question over the transmitter. Arnold almost regretted having powered up his ACU only to hear Desjar suck up to his superior. He almost considered shutting off his transmitter for a moment, but decided that he had pushed his luck enough as it was.

"I did," confirmed the Lieutenant General as he performed a diagnostic: "And that's where I learned to break habits by changing my transport methods as often as I could. You get one heck of a reality check when your apartment blows up."

Desjar whistled: "How did that happen?"

"There's not much to say really," said Riley. Although it seemed casual, a careful observer could notice that the story must have been rehearsed several times for it to be so well delivered: "I searched worlds for weeks without finding any Cybrans and that's when monotony started settling in. I took the habit of running on a treadmill every night with my dog to stay in shape."

Despite his foul mood, Arnold could not help but listen as Riley finished the story: "One night, an old friend called and I skipped the training to go see him. My dog decided to run on the treadmill as usual and as luck would have it, a bomb had somehow been sneaked into it. The investigation that followed revealed signs that not only had Cybrans been around, but they had been literally breathing down my neck."

Riley looked at each of them in turn: "I'll be the first to admit that I'm probably not the most pleasant commander to be under, but trust me when I say that everything I do, I do for a damn good reason."

Arnold looked at the Lieutenant General and had to admit that he found it hard not to be swayed by him, political crap or not. Riley's gaze suddenly hardened as data poured on his screen: "Blackbird three just spotted an unidentified signal closing in on our destination."

Arnold snapped out of his contemplation and looked at his instruments: "Confirmed. Sonar echoes suggest something a lot more massive than any civilian ship."

Riley pressed a few buttons and changed the course of the spy plane. It barely had the time to snap a few images of the enemy vessel before it was shot out of the sky. Riley forwarded the clips to the other two pilots: "Speak of the devil; a Cybran galaxy class battleship and it's firing on the settlement."

Arnold cursed loudly and started the sequence to release his ACU: "If you can get us into range while surfacing then I'll take it out. One overcharged shot combined with all the firepower of the Atlantis and it will sink faster than…"

"Negative," interrupted Riley suddenly: "The Atlantis' top speed is inferior to that of the battleship. Our torpedoes have a greater range than the Cybrans, but if it turns tail then all we can do is wave. Besides, I've faced Cybrans before and this smells like a trap."

Arnold resisted the usual urge to punch his console: "Sir, we can't let these people die on hunch! We have one Atlantis, five destroyers, six cruisers and fifteen submarines that can tear it to shreds in under a minute! Just let me do this!"

"Alright Arnold," said Riley unconvincingly: "You'll get your chance, but you won't be going personally. I want us all to make a stealth exit while the Atlantis is still under water. I'll transfer control of all sea units to you, Arnold, but we'll be making our way to land and build a base."

Desjar raised a finger: "Sir?"

"I'm aware that an underwater exit will damage the Atlantis," answered Riley in irritation. The damage would be minimal, however, and would only affect their ability to board the vessel again.

Desjar shook his head, however, and forwarded an image that he had cleaned up in the past minute: "I think you should take a look at this."

They all looked at the image and their eyes widened. A Cybran SCU was standing atop the destroyer with some kind of chain around its waist anchoring it to top. That in itself was a rather unconventional combination, but what really caught their eyes was the pirate flag strapped to its arm that it was proudly carrying.

"Sir, we have an incoming broadband transmission from the surface," added Desjar. His face screwed up in confusion as he added: "I'm putting it through now."

The scarred face of an old man with a short grey beard and a mess of red facial circuitry appeared on screen. The man was in the middle of a song and his voice was so off key that it would have made any crowd run away:

"…I fight, 'tis for vengeance! I love to see flow,

At the stroke of my saber, the life of my foe.

I strike for the memory of long-vanished years;

I only shed blood where another shed tears,

I come, as the lightning comes red from above,

O'er the race that I loathe, to the battle I love."

Arnold slapped a button to stop the infernal racket: "What the hell is that?"

**XXXXX**

Deep under the galaxy class battleship at the bottom of the sea, Dostya lowered the volume and rubbed her ear: "I tell him to lure them in and this is what he comes up with? If we don't get nuked after that, it will be a miracle."

**XXXXX**

"An Avatar-of-War must be selected now," came the sudden proclamation. The words echoed through the garden and left nothing but silence in their wake. There was a long pause before an Evaluator dared to step forth: "Princess, none may interfere with the ritual of rebirth. We all grieve for Toth and her missing students, but there is nothing that we can do at this stage."

Princess Miranda Burke looked at all of them for a moment and although she appeared tired, her voice still rang strong: "I had a vision: the next deserving princess of the Aeon Illuminate is amongst those students. As such, everything must be done to save her."

The Evaluator bowed her head and took a step back. One could question the military or logistical value of a vision, but none could rightfully dispute a spiritual one. The implications were dire indeed for if the next princess was lost then none would be considered worthy to take the position for at least another generation. Looking at the Princess, it was also clear that the years of war weighted heavily on her shoulders.

Messengers were quickly dispatched and a few minutes later, all six aspiring Avatar-of-Wars stood before the princess. Amongst them was Marxon, his face impassive as the Princess spoke: "A sneak attack has robbed the Aeon Illuminate of its future Princess. With the spiritual balance of the Aeon Illuminate in jeopardy; who will be willing to step forth to become the next Avatar-of-War and stand for us all?"

A moment passed as each commander considered it. Many hesitated, but it was not because they feared for their safety, but rather because of the lasting consequences should they fail. Of the six commanders only two stepped forth and the princess looked at them both before speaking again: "A choice must be made. Let the four remaining commanders show who they support."

Only a few seconds passed before three commanders lined up behind Marxon. The Princess raised her hands and spoke loudly for everyone to hear: "Then let it be known to all; the Aeon Illuminate has chosen Jaran Marxon as the new Avatar-of-War. Now go and know that our fate rests in your hands."

**XXXXX**

The sudden rush of water inside the Atlantis shook it violently and it was all that Arnold could do not to bite his own tongue. When things settled down, he felt something tickle down his back and he cursed so violently that Desjar's face appeared on his side monitor: "What is it?"

"I got a leak and it's from the frigging air humidifier," spouted Arnold between clenched teeth: "I can't take the time to seal it shut either and it's not a self-repairing component."

Desjar sighed in relief: "Stop scaring me like that. Now slave link your movements to me and I'll guide you towards the spot that Riley chooses. That way, you can micro manage your attack without worrying about where we're going."

"Just don't get us stuck in algae in the process," muttered Arnold as he turned his attention to the task at hand. Desjar grunted and closed the channel, leaving Arnold to the task of stopping the Cybran attack. He quickly sent one of his two remaining spy planes over the enemy battleship and captured as much data as possible before it was shot down. The battleship was firing wildly, but the settlement's shields were holding and all that the spy plane picked up were a few signals below the water's surface. They were most likely submarines and none of those were a match for the Atlantis, never mind its escort.

Arnold sent his fleet forward with the Atlantis leading the way and kept his last spy plane patrolling the edge of the battle. The Cybran battleship stopped firing on the settlement and turned its massive turrets on the approaching destroyers. Arnold smiled widely when his fleet was almost in range: "Time to cancel your singing performance!"

Before the Atlantis could get in range, however, a pair of torpedoes slammed it head on and critical warnings appeared on Arnold's screen. Looking at the numbers, Arnold could see that the damage was a lot higher than anything that a mere submarine could throw. Not one to give up easily, he still kept going forward, but his destroyers were soon under attack by something other than the Cybran battleship.

"What the heck is going on?" asked Arnold in confusion. He sent his remaining spy plane forward and gasped when he saw an updated battlefield. Two heavy torpedo launchers had appeared between the battleship and the Atlantis, mercilessly tearing the submarine apart and scores of Cybran destroyers were in the water. Cybran transports hovered above them and Arnold spotted a sonar platform as well. By the time that he realized what was going on, his fleet was sustaining critical damage and it was too late to turn it around.

Arnold cursed loudly and opened a channel to Riley: "They got the fleet! I don't know how they managed it, but a minute ago there was nothing and now we got torpedo launchers and destroyers appearing out of nowhere. I don't get it!"

The Lieutenant General appeared busy on his end, but he still managed to answer: "Yes, I saw it as well. It was a very nice trap and we would be dead now had we been with the fleet."

"But sir, there's just no way that they managed to do this!" protested Arnold loudly: "We sent the spy planes far and wide and there were no other Cybran fleets at sea!"

Riley nodded: "Which means it was on land with its radar signature hidden by stealth units. The air transports are most likely carrying deceivers even now. The way that these two torpedo turrets appeared without an engineer in sight leaves only one alternative: a Cybran SCU or ACU at the bottom of the sea added them. With a cloaking system enabled and the sonar jamming field from one of their advanced sonar platforms, the Atlantis could have moved within an inch of it without ever seeing it."

Arnold was still shaking his head as he followed the reasoning to its only remaining conclusion: "But the only piece of land where the Cybran fleet could have hidden was…"

The pilot's voice trailed off and Riley nodded slowly: "The settlement itself. They were hiding in the one pace where we would not search for them: in the middle of the base that they were pretending to bomb. They were here and waiting for us to show up long before we even got in range."

Arnold's eyes widened at the realization and Riley smiled on his screen. Had they gated in then they would have been shot as soon as they had appeared and had Arnold been on the Atlantis then he would be blown to atoms by now. As much as Arnold hated to admit it, Riley truly knew what he was doing.

**XXXXX**

Rhianne placed her hands under her armpits to warm them. Their clothing was well suited for Luthien's climate, but they were getting hungry and tired after being awake for so many hours. At least water was not an issue since the occasional gust of wind threw some snow through the transport's torn hatch. Of course this also gave them the impression that they were slowly being buried alive.

Instead of focusing on self-pity, which had brought a few other students to tears, Rhianne tried to understand why they were here. The how was also part of the mystery, but was not as important as the rest. Keeper Pheris had been outmaneuvered and forced into self-destructing and somehow, the Cybran had managed to know when and where to strike. That left room for either treason, a security leak or for a Cybran with a keen understanding of Aeon operations.

The why, however, was far more complex as it was somehow connected to her. Rhianne was sure that she had seen the Cybran in her visions and that his destiny was somehow intertwined with hers. She held no military secrets and as far as the galaxy was concerned, she was just a child with the potential to be the next Princess. Her bloodline had produced more than one Princess over the millennia and Miranda Burke – her aunt – was the current one. Still, if Rhianne died then surely another would take her place.

The sound of heavy footsteps brought Rhianne out of her daydreaming and she did not have to turn around to know that the Cybran was back. The others heard it as well and some instinctively shrunk away from the doorway. Rhianne turned her head slowly and saw him standing perfectly still, his sword strapped to his back and his gloved hands still covered in blood. He moved forward slowly and theatrically towards her and stopped when he was but two feet away: "The time has finally come. Follow me."

Rhianne nodded and stood up. She calmed the others with an outstretched hand when they begged her to stay and walked past the Cybran. Their captor waited a moment, perhaps surprised by her lack of apparent fear, and then turned to follow her. It was at that moment that a figure from the group of students sprang forward.

**XXXXX**

Time slowed as Ariel brought up the improvised stone knife and lunged forward. The monster had made the fatal mistake of turning his back on them and now was her only chance. She had spotted her target: a soft spot in the jump suit which might allow her to pierce his back and reach the abdominal aorta. The biological studies under Marxon's care combined with her own martial prowess could be the key to saving them all.

The knife was lined up perfectly, her grasp was firm and her entire weight was behind the blow. Her mind blazed as she got closer to her target and she felt an unprecedented level of elation as the knife pierced the fabric. The blade continued for a few millimeters more before it hit something hard and metallic. She barely had the time to realize it before the tip broke and the knife twisted away while barely scratching the jump suit.

She tried to pull back her arm for another strike but she was off balanced and a hand grasped her wrist with incredible strength. Before she could understand what was happening, she was spun around using her own inertia and a knee slammed into her chest. Bones cracked and the blow was so strong that it threw her against the transport's wall. She could not even bring her defense up before the monster fell on her, brutally punching her in quick successions. She tried one last desperate attack with what was left of the knife but he grabbed her wrist again and twisted violently, breaking it as if she was nothing more than a fragile doll. So sudden was the attack that she could barely feel the pain from the wound and only stared in stupor as a hand grasped her by the neck and lifted her off the ground. The eyes that gazed back at her held such fury that they barely looked human.

"You tried to kill me," observed the Cybran, his grip tightening as he did so: "I never considered that a crude stone weapon would be overlooked by my scanning equipment so congratulations are in order. Maybe it will help you justify your weak and pathetic existence!"

The Cybran squeezed, cutting off her air completely. Ariel tried to slam her remaining fist against the arm that held her, aiming for a nerve cluster that might loosen it up, but again she hit metal. It was then that she understood her mistake: the limb was cybernetic and so were many other parts of the monster before her. Darkness clouded her vision and yet she could not look away from those dreadful eyes.

**XXXXX**

"No more, stop it!" shouted Rhianne. The Cybran did not lower Ariel nor turn to her: "This is what happens to anyone that gets in my way. I cannot be stopped nor will I be denied!"

Rhianne knew that he would slap her aside as easily as an insect if she tried to stop him and yet she cried the only thing that came to mind: "This won't prove your existence!"

She did not know why she had been compelled to say that, but this time, the Cybran turned his head to look straight at her. Somehow, that declaration had shocked him and he gazed at her for several seconds before snorting and throwing his victim to the ground. Ariel landed with a painful thud, convulsing and gasping for breath all at once. Rhianne would have gone to her, but the Cybran was in the way and pointing straight at the exit. She nodded slowly, turned around and started walking.

Once outside, he led her towards the same building that he had taken Evaluator Toth and Eldes. For a moment, he brought a hand to his ear and barley muttered: "Don't bother me and don't listen in. This is personal."

Rhianne looked around and although she could not see anyone, she now knew that there was more than one pilot out there.

"That's far enough," said the Cybran suddenly. Rhianne stopped by the edge of the building and turned around. The Cybran just stood there while observing her for a long a while and she hesitated before speaking: "I think I can guess as to how you managed to do all of this and what you were after. The only thing that I have yet to understand is why you did it."

She could see the lines of emotional stress on the Cybran's forehead as he took a step forward: "Everything is connected."

Rhianne's eyes widened, both at the use of the old Aeon saying and because her captor suddenly kneeled before her with arms outstretched. The gesture was only done by Aeon commanders when they pledged their loyalty to a Princess of the Aeon Illuminate. What followed, however, was the greatest possible insult as he looked straight at her and slowly rose to his feet with his arms still outstretched instead of waiting for her blessing.

A single sound pierced Rhianne's subconscious; that of a roar that was a pure expression of hate, anguish, pain and denial all at once. She took a step backward and could barely find the breath to whisper: "Who are you?"

Behind the mask, the Cybran smiled: "I was formally Earthborn Lian Mazon; UEF fugitive and marked man. I was also reborn as Zenthar Rition; Aeon convert and hopeful commander. Now I am Redfog, successor to the previous Cybran commander of the same name and I will not be denied. Not in this life or the next."

**Chapter 8 **

**Existence **

"This is impossible," whispered Rhianne without thinking: "When… how?"

Redfog started walking around Rhianne, circling her in the same way that an animal would stalk its prey: "Both questions do not matter nor would I care to explain. Whether I had a tragic past or not would not affect my disgust for the abomination that you are. That and the fact that I am armed and you're not should be your only concerns for the time being."

Rhianne shivered, flashbacks of her first vision from the meditation pools coming back to her in rapid succession: "I find it strange that one who brutally beats up a young girl would call me an abomination."

The Cybran chuckled at that remark and a knife suddenly appeared in his hand. He twirled it a few times as he circled in closer to her: "She attacked me and I fought back. The only difference between her and me is that she missed, but at least it was a somewhat authentic aggression. It would have been a more honest one if her hatred for me had been as sincere as mine."

Rhianne was about to object when the Cybran sprang forward and struck. The blade slashed through her cloak along her shoulder an opened a deep gash. She fell back with a cry and brought a hand to stop the bleeding as Redfog started circling her once more: "This is the first time that you're attacked now isn't it? Judging by your reaction, I'd even dare to say that this is the first time that you've been seriously injured. I always find it amusing when a tyrant such as yourself is faced with her own medicine."

"You are the monster, not me!" protested Rhianne immediately. Redfog twirled the blade again and nodded: "Finally some honesty... and of course I won't deny that I'm a monster. I kill, I torture, I cheat and I do much more without any second thought and sometimes, I even enjoy it."

He sprang again as he spoke those last words and this time, the blade sliced Rhianne's leg, opening a gash that made her stumble for a moment. She managed to stay on her feet, but there was just no way for her to counter the near inhuman speed of her opponent.

"Then how come I am the abomination if you are the one that is doing all of this?" asked Rhianne, the pain threatening to make her falter. The Cybran held the blade up and touched it delicately with two fingers, spreading the blood on it: "Ah, but everything that I do, I mean to do it. If I kill someone then it is because I hate him or it is out of necessity and his blood is on my hands. It is as personal and intimate as any fight between living creatures could be. You on the other hand…"

Redfog motioned towards the field behind him: "Millions will die in your name and for the faith that you represent, but not once will you meet any of them. You will remain on your pedestal, unmarred by the war, pain, sadness, famine and loss. A living icon meant to inspire and comfort those under her about concepts that she has never experienced for herself."

Rhianne looked up at the Cybran and frowned: "You are wrong! I am aware of all of all that is sacrificed in wars and I grieve for it. Unlike you, not a day passes by where I do not regret the lost lives nor the pain endured."

The Cybran paused and considered her words for a moment before throwing the knife high in the air. It landed at Rhianne's feet, coloring the snow around it crimson red: "You questioned my existence before and now it is my turn to question yours. Take the knife."

Rhianne hesitated and the Cybran screamed when she did not move: "Take it!"

She bent down and picked up the blade. Redfog nodded: "You have fifteen minutes to kill someone. If you don't then I will kill them one by one until you comply. There is no reason, no choice and no negotiations… just a sample of the pain felt in real life."

The assassin then bowed mockingly and left Rhianne alone to make her decision.

**XXXXX**

"Bagby? Bagby… Bagby!"

Dostya had to shout at the top of her lungs for the SCU pilot to finally stop singing something about sailors visiting a bordello. Bagby then looked at her with a grin: "But I was just getting to the good part! So… did I scare them off yet?"

"The UEF fleet is destroyed," confirmed Dostya as she checked her sensors: "But there was no ACU explosion… they are still hiding out there."

Bagby sneered and spat in the corner of his cockpit: "Now that's a cheap bastardly way of doing things: skulking, sneaking and backstabbing… I thought that was our job."

"Well they are still alive," observed Dostya as she pressed a few buttons in her cockpit: "So it's time for plan B."

**XXXXX**

The two UEF ACUs and the SCU worked at a busy pace to build a base as quickly as they could. Arnold and Riley were creating the necessary support structures while Desjar moved around the perimeter to add turrets. Arnold was still fuming over his defeat, but at least no permanent damage had been done. The fleet was lost, but it could easily be replaced and it was only a matter of time until they settled in with a strong base to fight back. Like all battles in the past millennia, as long as there was at least one functional ACU then the fight was never truly over.

"That Cybran ACU pilot must have balls of steel to pull off a stunt like that," grumbled Arnold as he added another list of commands: "One lucky shot on their sonar and its stealth capabilities would have been brought down and we could have blown him to scraps."

Desjar automatically chipped in: "Well, look on the bright side: your SCU pilot is a lot better on almost every level and that includes singing!"

"Don't be so sure about that," cut in Riley. Desjar became serious again and cleared his throat as he dropped the banter: "What do you mean, sir?"

Riley forwarded a file to both of them: "Cybran SCU pilot seven, eight, five, otherwise referred to as Bagby. He is credited with participating in twenty seven known operations in UEF territory with all of them resulting in a UEF defeat or a Cybran escape. He was personally credited for the destruction of a total of nine SCUs and two ACUs."

Arnold whistled in appreciation and Desjar stammered a bit: "That lunatic did that?"

Riley nodded slowly: "Special notes here state that the pilot has an erratic pattern that is nearly impossible to predict and his behavior has unsettled more than one commander. It also says that he is extremely proficient in SCU hand to hand combat."

"Um… sir?" said Desjar in hesitation, unsure of where to start: "SCUs don't have hands and aren't made to brawl."

Riley shrugged Desjar's comment off: "Apparently that's not bothering the pilot much either. Just do yourself a favor and don't get too close. He might be crazy, but he's also good at what he does."

Arnold scratched the back of his head and queued in a few more commands: "How did you get that file so quickly?"

The Lieutenant General titled his head upward ever so slightly as he answered: "You might be surprised, commander Arnold, at how quickly our tactical division can get you the information when you're nice to them… and when you know a few names to call upon."

Arnold grumbled under his breath, annoyed that Riley's politicking was apparently useful on the battlefield. Try as he might, he could not imagine himself sucking up to his superiors and kissing babies just to get some reliable intelligence.

"They don't happen to have a file on the ACU pilot by any chance?" wondered Desjar. Riley shook his head: "Unfortunately no. They have a list of possible pilots that have fought besides Bagby in the past, but the list is long enough that it won't be useful on its own. We won't know who we're dealing with unless we coax them into a transmission first."

Desjar raised a hand to stop them: "Incoming transmission from New Hampshire… it's on a public broadband frequency relayed through the quantum network! Everyone on the planet will be getting this."

Riley cursed loudly which took both Arnold and Desjar by surprise since they had never seen him lose his temper. They pressed a few keys and the video feed of the same woman that Arnold had seen at the party the day before appeared before them. She looked nervous and was in the middle of her speech: "… I am thirty six years old and this is my son Timmy. We live in New Hampshire which has been taken over by Cybrans."

The woman's eyes darted from left to right before she continued: "They demand a prisoner exchange: the citizens of New Hampshire in exchange for the planet's symbiont population. If the symbionts are not ready in the next six hours then they will start executing 20 citizens every hour until their demands are met. Please help us!"

The transmission was cut off immediately.

**XXXXX**

Rhianne stood still for several moments with the knife in hand until a cold wind reminded her that not only was she freezing, but that she was bleeding as well. She limped towards the building that the Cybran had been taking her to, intending to use its surface to block the wind while she tended to her wounds.

To her surprise, the door opened when she got close enough and she stepped inside. The air was warmer and she quickly went to work, cutting off pieces of her cloak and using them to bandage her arm and leg. Fortunately the wounds were not deep and she reflected on Redfog's ultimatum as she worked. She held no doubt that he would do exactly as he had said and yet the reason as to why he was doing all of this escaped her. There was the possibility that all of it was some kind of plan to somehow hurt and injure her so that she could not perform her duties should she become the next Princess and yet the way that he acted made it all seem so personal. He was deriving some enjoyment or perhaps even a sense of fulfillment out of this, but why?

Rhianne finished tying up the bandage around her leg, tucked the knife in her belt and looked around. This was the facility where Toth and Eldes had been taken to and maybe with their help she could find a way out of this without killing anyone. She moved through the corridor while using the wall for support and soon another set of doors opened before her. Rhianne's gaze settled on Toth first and she smiled since she appeared to be unharmed. She saw something move out of the corner of her eye and turned to look at it. She could not help but cry out in horror as she saw Eldes' mutilated body and the fact that it was somehow still alive.

"Don't look, Rhianne!" pleaded Toth as Rhianne closed her eyes, but it was too late. The image was burned into her memory and she would remember it for the rest of her life. She stumbled backwards until an arm wrapped around her waist and held on to her. Rhianne turned around to see Toth holding on to her with her free hand and on impulse she hugged her mentor.

"There, there… everything will be all right," said Toth soothingly. Her voice became serious again as she asked: "Where is the Cybran?"

The mention of the monster made Rhianne jerk up: "He… he is not far! He left me but a few minutes to kill someone or else he said he would kill everyone! What must I do? I'm not trained for combat and I cannot fight him!"

Rhianne brought up the knife that she had tucked in her belt and showed it to her mentor. Toth considered the question carefully for a few seconds before extending her free hand: "Give me the knife, Rhianne; I will take care of it."

Rhianne was about to obey her mentor when she noticed the look in her eyes. With barely one arm free and the rest of her body tied by metallic restraints, there was only one person against which the Evaluator could turn the blade against. "No! I will not let you kill yourself!"

"There is no other choice, Rhianne, and you will just have to tell him that you did it," said Toth, falling back into the role of the mentor in the process: "The Aeon Illuminate needs you and you will be meant to heal our people, but not to kill. Without you, all humanity will be lost!"

Despite Toth's words, Rhianne brought the blade over her own wrist and was about to press down when a wet gurgle from the other end of the room reminded her of Eldes. She was still alive if barely and killing her would be merciful if nothing else. Toth quickly understood her intent and tried to stop her: "Rhianne, you are the next Princess of the Aeon Illuminate. You cannot have blood on your hands."

Toth's words stood in sharp contrast with what the Cybran had said a few minutes ago. No matter what choice she made, someone in this room would have to die. Protocols dictated that she should obey her mentor and worry more about the safety of The Way and yet as she looked at the body in front of her, she knew that the only humane thing to do – threat or not – was to end Eldes' suffering.

The ten year old child closed her eyes for a moment to steady her arm and whispered: "I am sorry."

She then lifted the knife and brought it down.

**XXXXX**

"Those bastards!" shouted Arnold. He looked to his right screen and hoped to see Riley as animated as before, but the Lieutenant General had calmed down considerably and appeared almost relieved. The sudden calm unnerved Arnold who shook a fist: "We're going to do something about this, right?"

"Yes, yes… of course," said Riley half mindedly. Her soon focused on his tactical screen and nodded: "Start negotiating with them and see if we can get a few hostages as a sign of good faith. In the meantime, prepare our forces for an all-out assault and keep our air space secured. I don't want a single spy plane breaching it, do you hear me?"

Arnold immediately noticed the dangerous gleam in Riley's eyes and his concern for the hostages grew: "Even with both of our armies combined, I doubt that we could reach the hostages without a long battle. Do you know something that I don't? "

"Try wrapping your mind around this one, Arnold," said Riley slowly, apparently working out the details even as he asked the question: "The planet is out of practical reinforcement range, you come with insufficient forces, there is nothing of value, the enemy outnumbers you and yet you create a hostage situation while proposing a huge time limit. If you were in their shoes then why would you pull something off like this?"

Desjar had been listening in on the conversation: "Because they're crazy?"

Arnold gave it some thought for a bit longer: "They're not after Matar… it's a gate point! They are in Aeon territory!"

"Bravo," said Riley, apparently satisfied that they were on the same page: "And under normal circumstances, if we wanted to force our way into the Cybran base while saving the hostages then we would need more than two ACUs. That would take time and they would easily detect anyone else that gated here. However…"

Riley's ACU found a clear spot in the middle of the base and activated its building laser. There was a huge drain in their resources and although it was barely a blue outline; the shape of the biggest cannon that Arnold had ever seen appeared. The Lieutenant General smiled back at them as he added: "Gentlemen, this is the turning point and the reason that the Cybrans made a huge mistake today. It is also the reason why I summoned the two of you here even though I had expected to deploy it against Aeon forces. This is our new secret experimental prototype and its codename is the Mavor…"

**XXXXX**

Redfog had returned to the cockpit of his ACU and was slumped in the command chair with his gaze fixed on the monitor. A hidden camera in the interrogation facility had relayed everything to him: the child's hesitation, her argument with her mentor and up to the point where she had plunged the knife through the other Evaluator's exposed heart. He had to give her some credit for choosing a quick death instead of using the coward's way out by slicing the tubes. Of course had she done so then the Evaluator would have taken minutes to die instead of mere moments.

Out on a whim, the assassin pressed a button, releasing the remaining restraints that held Toth down and watched with a measure of amusement as the aged Evaluator rushed to her student and cradled her in her arms. The child was pale and the shock from having killed someone coupled with the loss of blood appeared to be too much for her. Redfog smiled behind his mask: "Mission accomplished."

The child's spirit was broken and she would forever be haunted by these events. Because of that, they would either have to choose a new Princess or watch that one wither away. Redfog had not been with the Aeons for very long, but he had noticed the spiritual strain within the faction and knew that what he had done would create many conflicts within the Aeon Illuminate. With any luck, it might even result in a civil war. The tactical value of having zealots in disarray was a bonus, however, compared to the pleasure he felt at destroying such as symbol.

The Princess of the Aeon Illuminate – the near incarnation of fate itself – had been broken by his hands. Redfog savored the moment for fate had tried to claim him since the day he was born and it had taken a lifetime to finally strike back. The fact that she was just a child now did not change what she would become: a dancing puppet praising The Way while millions died. The assassin held no illusions; he had not done any of that for some high minded ideal nor for the Cybran Nation. He had done it for himself and if it benefited his 'allies' in the process then it was only a side effect.

"He was telling the truth," Redfog had been about to open a channel to Mather and order them to return home when the girl's voice halted him.

"Rhianne?" asked Toth in confusion. The child looked at her mentor and nodded, colors returning to her face: "He was telling the truth; what we have been doing is wrong and we must put a stop to it. We have to aim for a lasting peace instead of the Infinite War that we have been waging for the past millennia."

Redfog whirled around in his seat and fixed the screen again with wide eyes. This was impossible! Instead of breaking apart the child was using the experience as a source of spiritual growth?

"Maybe you should rest for a while," said the concerned Evaluator: "What the Cybran said…"

Rhianne cut off her mentor with a wave of her hand: "I am fine and I am not worried about him anymore. In fact, I feel great sorrow when I think about him. He has been broken physically and spiritually so many times that the only way that he can justify his existence is by destroying those that stand on false foundations. I think that he forgot or maybe even never knew what it is to care for someone and be cared for in return… I do not think that he even exists anymore."

The assassin slammed his fist on a button to cut off the transmission and had to stop himself from exploding in rage. He hated the girl for what she had said, but most importantly because he could not deny it. Destroying the very foundation on which the Aeon stood had been his purpose all along yet what would happen if they went through a second awakening? How could he justify his very existence if such a thing happened?

An artificial limb reached for the gas mask, unfastened the clamps and removed it. Without it, his wheezing breath could be heard through the cockpit and it was now a labor simply to stay alive. The assassin focused on the burning sensation in his damaged lungs, using the pain to drown out his doubts. Soon, his hesitation was replaced by the boiling rage that had animated him for the better part of his life. Rage at having been continuously abandoned, beaten, tortured, broken, burned and denied. With it, he could justify his continued existence and strike back at anyone that struck his fancy whether they were UEF, Aeon or even Cybran!

A light suddenly blinked on his monitor and Redfog focused on it. He pressed a few keys to see what his ACU had detected and the trace of a smile formed on his lips. Now this was something worthy of his hatred. The assassin replaced the mask and reactivated all of his monitors with new life animating his movements. He then opened a channel and Mather's face appeared on his monitor: "Jeez, there you are. I've never seen so many quantum signatures before and it looks like all of Seraphim Two gated to Luthien. I can't keep distracting them and we don't have much time left. Do we have the plans?"

Redfog looked at his wrist computer and smiled: "We do, but we're not done here just yet. We have one last person to kill for the good of the entire Cybran nation."

Mather's face contorted into an unbelieving expression and Redfog only smiled wider: "We're going to kill the Avatar-of-War."

**Chapter 9 **

**The last warning **

"Ok maybe I was not exactly clear back there, so let me try it again," said Mather between clenched teeth: "The bulk of the Aeon military is coming our way and nothing will be able to stop it. If we have the plans for the Galactic Colossus then it's time to bail!"

To Mather's horror, Redfog ignored him and went to work, fingers flying over his console. Mather could tell by looking at his sensors that the assassin was deactivating the dampening field and preparing to break radio silence: "Are you deaf or insane?"

"I heard you," answered the assassin in irritation without pausing: "But I have a plan in mind and it's an opportunity that will never present itself again. So be silent for thirty seconds and watch."

Redfog opened a quantum link and encrypted his communication: "QAI respond."

The pulsing geometrical eye appeared on both their screens and a metallic voice reached them: "Communication silence broken; awaiting status of the mission."

"I am transmitting the schematics now," said Redfog without missing a beat: "I want you to combine a toned down version of the phason laser's power source with the focusing lens that you have been working on for the Monkeylord and the delivery system contained in the file Redfog, six, six, six, omega, seven. I am transmitting the password to decrypt the file. We need it now so assign all of your resources to make it happen."

QAI's pulsing symbol shifted to the right of the screen as Doctor Brackman's holographic face appeared: "I have not authorized this. What are you doing?"

"Then authorize it!" barked Redfog back with a dangerous gleam dancing in his eyes: "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to kill the new Avatar-of-War! You lived through the carnage that the last one left centuries ago so you should realize how important it is to destroy him."

Doctor Brackman frowned, but the tone of his voice was still the same despite Redfog's lack of respect: "Even with QAI's vast potential, the weapon would be experimental at best and you would risk blowing yourself up if a single miscalculation is made."

"The chance is mine to take," growled Redfog back undaunted: "Do it!"

Mather watched Doctor Brackman hesitate a second longer before nodding. QAI went to work immediately, dedicating dozens of nodes across multiple worlds to the task. Machines – even those as complex as the galactic computer – had their limitations when it came to creativity and abstract thinking. When provided with all the pieces of the puzzle, however, the task became far simpler and it barely took QAI thirty seconds to create and upload the prototype weapon.

"Please think well before making your next move," warned Doctor Brackman. Mather watched as Redfog ignored the advice and activated the new upgrade. The Cybran ACU immediately decloaked; its system unable to maintain the stealth field as an energy vortex formed around it. The normally peaceful upgrade procedure generated a localized lightning storm with the ACU as its source.

Mather backed off when his sensors reported a probable core breach. His communication's link with the assassin was filled with static, but a single screaming voice came through: "I did not come so far to be stopped now!"

The display lasted for several minutes and Mather reflexively closed his eyes once or twice when he was certain that the ACU would explode. The lightning storm stopped as suddenly as it had begun and in its center stood Redfog's ACU. An extra power supply had been added on its back and the chest cavity was now ready to open, but with a different upgrade than the torpedo launcher. The communication's link with the assassin finally cleared up and Mather could see Redfog grasping the controls with shakings hands while gasping for breath.

Before he could ask if he was all right, the chest plate of the ACU opened and the shriek of a massive power buildup rang through the base. A few seconds later, a continuous red laser shot forth and hit the side of a nearby hill, burning through it in an instant. Mather watched his readings go off the scale and realized the full implications of the weapon. Usually, a Cybran ACU avoided direct contact with the enemy, especially other upgraded ACUs and SCUs which moved around with an Omni Sensor field. Now, with this new weapon in hand, a Cybran ACU could destroy almost anything on the battlefield in seconds.

It was then that Mather heard the one thing that he had not expected to hear and he felt a chill run down his spine. Redfog was laughing…

**XXXXX**

Ariel sat in the corner of the transport away from the other students and kept her gaze fixed at the spot where the Cybran had defeated her. The students had taken care of her wounds; immobilizing her right arm and broken wrist against her chest by using pieces from a broken seat. She had survived her encounter with the monster… but part of her wished that she had not. If she had died then at least she would have been spared the realization of how weak the spiritual cast truly was.

'Rhianne saved you!' was what they had told her. If that was the case then why were they were still imprisoned? Had they all struck the Cybran at the same time by following her example then surely they would have won! A few students might have been hurt and some even killed, but despite all of his cybernetic implants, the assassin was still mortal. Instead of acting, however, they had simply stood and watched as she was brutally beaten. They were like lambs refusing to move out of fear of becoming the wolf's next meal.

The fourteen year old girl sighed deeply while attempting to master her anger. She knew that her emotional turmoil was counterproductive and that she should focus on something else before it drove her crazy. Maybe if she could find a way to contact Marxon then the Cybran could be defeated and…

Her train of thought was interrupted as a piercing shriek forced them all to cover their ears. Ariel cried out in pain, but managed to get to her feet and look through a fissure in the transport's wall. The Cybran ACU was there and she barely had the time to blink before a laser shot out of its chest and vaporized a nearby hill. She had to shield her eyes from the bright light and gasped when she saw the level of destruction. Was this a new weapon?

The Cybran ACU suddenly disappeared, but the sound of its footsteps could be heard and Ariel's eyes widened when she saw small clouds of snow rise from the ground and head towards them. She backed away from the transport's wall and towards the other students. One small girl grabbed on to her cloak and looked up at her: "What is going on?"

Before she could answer, something heavy pressed on top of the transport and the ceiling buckled inward. Ariel grabbed on to the girl and pushed her towards the open hatch: "He's going to crush us, everybody out!"

The students scrambled outside in panic and Ariel had to grab one girl that had fallen and drag her out. The Cybran ACU waited until they were all out of the transport before putting its full weight down, crushing it as if it was made out paper. The explosion disrupted its cloaking field for a split second and bolts of lightning danced around its form.

"Heavens protect us," whispered one of the students. Ariel ignored the plea and frowned. She knew that if the Cybran meant to kill them then he could have done so a lot more efficiently. As if to confirm her thoughts, a dozen Mantises scrambled around the transport's remains and started herding them towards the building where Toth, Eldes and Rhianne had been taken. Ariel looked around, but she knew that there was no escape with the Cybran behind the controls of his command unit.

**XXXXX**

The ACU appeared with a brilliant flash and a second later, four SCUs moved towards it. They went to work immediately, supporting the war machine's upgrades by adding their own building lasers to the task. A few moments later, economic structures were transferred to the pilot as well as a generous supply of engineers, harbingers and corona air superiority fighters. Marxon had his ACU upgraded in record time and set a course towards the Aeon settlement with Pao and Lani by his side.

"Greetings Avatar-of-War," said an unfamiliar face on Marxon's screen. She was one of the survivors who had been spared in the original Cybran attack: "I am Evaluator Adis and I am at your service."

Marxon inclined his head ever so slightly before speaking: "Report."

Adis told him all that she knew: the arrival of Toth and her protégés, the rumors of a vision from one of the students, the Cybran attack, how Keeper Pheris had self-destructed and the following abduction. Marxon listened to it all impassively and nodded when she was done: "Thank you, Evaluator Adis. I want all remaining personnel from this facility to board a transport to the Blue Star gate nexus. You will return to Seraphim Two where you will be thoroughly debriefed."

The Evaluator bowed her head slightly: "And what about the converts? Surely we cannot leave them here?"

"They will be cleansed," said Marxon flatly. The Avatar-of-War orders and lack of empathy surprised the Evaluator: "But… but they cannot possibly have anything to do with this! Many are very promising and deserve to be saved!"

Marxon raised his chin ever so slightly, unwilling to back down: "Tell me, Evaluator Adis, what are the odds of a Cybran piercing our codes, understanding the significance behind our lost children, coordinate an attack and leave without a single casualty?"

Adis shrunk away from the monitor: "Almost none."

"Unless there is a traitor in our midst, correct?" finished Marxon, without giving the Evaluator a measure of reprieve: "The time for half measures has passed and we can no longer afford security leaks especially with all that is at stake. You will obey my orders."

The Evaluator took a deep breath before nodding: "As you wish, Avatar-of-War."

The communication ended and Pao's face appeared on his monitor: "Avatar, one of our commanders has picked up significant signs of quantum communication six kilometers from our position. She has asked that this specific signal be sent to you directly."

Marxon raised an eyebrow: "Any particular reason why this signal should be different from any other decoy that our troops have encountered?"

"There is," confirmed Pao with a nod: "Although it could not be decrypted, the signal's frequency matched the one from the unscheduled access to our network not long ago."

Marxon's eyes widened for a split second and he quickly nodded: "We will be sending the bulk of our forces there, but the standard search teams should still be scouring the other sectors. Send my personal congratulations to the commander that made this discovery. Also send a message to Seraphim Two: have them lock our databases until we can confirm which security codes have been compromised."

Pao nodded and ended transmission. Alone in his cockpit, Marxon rubbed his upper lip with his index finger: "I expected more from you, Toth."

**XXXXX**

Rhianne unclasped her cloak and handed one end of it to Toth. Together, they reverently covered Eldes' mutilated body and uttered a few words of prayers. They barely finished the first verse when screams interrupted them and they twisted around in surprise only to see the other students rush inside.

"Calm down, calm down, everybody calm down!" said Toth with as reassuringly as she could. She was suddenly surrounded on all sides by scared children who desperately clung to her. Rhianne looked from Toth to the door and saw that Ariel was the last one to come through. The door closed behind her and the fourteen year old girl barely looked at Rhianne before sitting in the corner of the room. Toth motioned for Rhianne to take care of the other students and went towards Ariel: "You are wounded, let me take a look at you."

"The wrist is broken, but it has been immobilized," her face set in stone as she refused to show weakness: "I will be fine until we are rescued."

Toth reached out to the child but she shrunk away. Instead of forcing the issue, the Evaluator smiled sadly: "It may be a while longer before we are rescued. Maybe I should look at it in the meantime?"

"Marxon is coming," said Ariel. The child ignored Toth's frown as she continued: "Why else would the monster decide to move all of us in here? He wants to make sure that his bargaining chips remain intact, but he has no idea what is coming his way! Soon he will see how a true Aeon warrior fights!"

Toth moved away and refrained from shaking her head in sadness.

**XXXXX**

"Ok so we have an impressive new toy," said Mather carefully, aware that he was now seriously outgunned by the ACU that stood in front of him: "But it's still not enough to stop them. Quantum signatures in the area are increasing so if they did not know that we were here before then they do now. It's time to go."

Redfog ignored him and took control of a few engineers. The units were deployed around the base and began the construction of facilities that were similar to the one where the Aeon children were imprisoned. The assassin then opened a broad band channel: "This is Redfog, commander of the Cybran forces in the area. I have captured the future Princess of the Aeon Illuminate as well as her fellow students and have her stored in this facility. I'm not without a heart, however…"

Mather almost choked at the proclamation and looked at the building where the Aeon children had been taken to. This explained everything: the self-destruction of the enemy ACU, the plans and even why so many forces were coming after them now. How could Redfog have possibly planned it all out?

The assassin kept speaking for all to hear: "I'll let you fight for her and I promise that I won't kill her or blow up the facility that she's in. However, I seem to have forgotten in which building I have stored her so I suggest avoiding the use of any weapon with large area effect. Those are unshielded civilian buildings after all and one misfire could very well end in tragedy!"

The assassin closed the channel and chuckled in delight at the prospect of the upcoming battle. Mather was not in the same mood: "What the hell are you thinking? We can't fight off that many troops!"

Redfog shrugged, apparently unconcerned: "We don't need to; we just need to kill one ACU before we leave. It is not as impossible as you might think."

Mather's mouth nearly hit the floor and the Assassin sighed in annoyance before explaining: "Our base is in the middle of a valley with only a few natural ice canyons leading to it. This means that they won't be able to move ground troops in great numbers. I'm also constructing dummy prisons around the base which combined with my little speech will nullify their long range capabilities. They'll have to do some close range scanning to determine which buildings are dummies so no nukes and no artillery for them. They'll have to get close and personal to free their little Princess and that's when my new toy will win the war! All I need is for that so called Avatar-of-War to make one mistake."

"Ok, this is beyond crazy," said Mather with a curse as he plotted a course towards the quantum gate: "I'm leaving and you can either come along or die here."

The shriek of Redfog's laser interrupted Mather before he could turn towards the quantum gate. The assassin gazed straight through him and spoke each word very slowly: "I can't let you do that…"

Mather looked at his monitor and realized that the assassin would kill him without a second thought: "What are you doing?"

"I need your help to keep them off my back long enough to spot my target and kill it," said Redfog without a single trace of regret or pity: "Two ACUs are the bare minimum to hold for any length of time. If you move a single step or attempt to destroy my Omni Sensor then I will destroy you."

The assassin paused for a second before adding: "Why don't you transfer control of those quantum gates over to me for now…"

Mather hesitated a second longer before cursing and transferring the facilities. Redfog smiled: "Have faith Mather… we're about to win a great victory today."

**XXXXX**

"I hope that you're happy with what you're doing," said the woman, her eyes reflecting a mix of fury and despair.

Dostya flinched, preferring to look away at the moment. She did not feel particularly proud about using civilians as hostages, but she had no other choice: "You'll be released with the second batch of prisoners. The first batch will be for those that are sick or wounded. For what it's worth, I'm sorry that you got caught in the middle of all of this."

For a moment, it seemed that the woman was about to offer a rebuke, but she hesitated before finally asking: "Why are you doing all of this?"

Dostya looked up at her and hesitated a few seconds before finally speaking: "What's your first name?"

"Hina," said the woman, confused as to why a Cybran would want to know. Dostya looked at Hina for several seconds before finally speaking: "Well Hina, for the past three years I wondered how I would answer that question should I meet someone that I knew on Earth or even my own family. For the life of me, I can't find an answer that I would not have doubted a few years back when I was just like you. There is one thing though…"

The mother and the boy both looked at Dostya expectantly as she continued: "Look into the eyes of any symbiont under the UEF's care and look deep. See for yourself what is missing in them."

A red light blinked on Dostya's console and she opened the channel without looking: "What is it?"

To her surprise, Doctor Brackman's face appeared on her monitor. The sudden appearance caught her unprepared and she quickly nodded: "Doctor Brackman, it's quite an honor! Let me just close this other channel…"

"No time, no time!" warned the agitated holographic projection: "The mission is complete, but Redfog is trying to accomplish something else before leaving. I do not know what, but this could spell disaster for Mather and you cannot hold your position on Matar for much longer with UEF forces waiting on your border. I know Mather has a number of escape plans involving a short hop towards another planet. You should evacuate from Matar before…"

"Help!" came the unexpected cry. Dostya's gaze shifted to the other channel. Urzu twelve had his laser pistol trained on Hina's head with his finger on the trigger: "No one is leaving Matar. We're sticking with Redfog's plan…"

Dostya resisted her urge to curse and opted to fix the assassin with a cold stare: "Calm down and put the gun away. Planet hopping is not an unusual tactic in situations where we're outnumbered and it might save Redfog's life. Our trip home will last a bit longer, but it's preferable to having him gate in the middle of a battle."

Urzu twelve did not lower the weapon: "That's not an option. He warned us that all hell would be following him as soon as he left Aeon territory and that an immediate jump into Cybran territory was our only option. We were told that you might try another escape route and we have been ordered to make sure that you stayed right here…"

"Lower the gun," snapped Dostya back, suddenly angry: "They are civilians for crying out loud!"

Urzu twelve laughed before grimacing fiercely: "You are weak! You call yourself a Cybran commander and yet you can't stand the thought of killing two worthless UEF meat bags! Now order your units to form a defensive line and hold until Redfog gets here."

Dostya stood perfectly still: "I'm warning you to stand down or…"

"Or what?" snapped the Assumpta back: "Your ACU is powerful but not precise enough to take out a single individual through a reinforced building wall! I have but to transmit a single order and the others will open fire on the remaining civilians without a second thought…"

The assassin had a point, but he also noticed that Dostya was not backing down either. Urzu twelve licked his lips as he added: "I see that you need some motivation so pick a target: the mother or the boy? You have three seconds to choose or I'll kill them both."

"You're making a huge mistake," warned Dostya without flinching.

"One…"

"You are under my orders and you have to obey me."

"Two…"

"I warned you…"

"Three!"

Two blaster bolts rang through the communication's tower.

**XXXXX**

"I estimate another eight minutes before the Mavor is ready and my new fleet is currently operational," said Riley with a satisfied nod. The Lieutenant General then turned his attention to the other two pilots under his command: "How are things progressing on your end?"

Arnold looked at his instruments and nodded: "Titans, broadswords, wasps and the necessary air transports are on standby. This is going to make a flashy entrance when I pop in with Desjar."

There was a brief pause as Riley frowned: "Sending you over was not part of the strategy. Desjar is competent enough to stand on the front lines on his own."

Arnold sneered, unwilling to back down on that front: "With all due respect, sir, that little file you got on the happy singing pirate is telling me otherwise. Cybran SCUs are capable of taking out our own in a one on one fight thanks to their EMP cannons and that's when my ACU's overcharge shot could come in handy. I'm not sending my buddy out there to die."

Riley was about to speak, but Arnold cut him off before he could: "Besides, we need a juicy target if we want those Cybran forces to gather in the same place to maximize the damage from the Mavor."

The Lieutenant General gave it some further thought before nodding: "All right Arnold, good luck out there."

The communication ended and Desjar's face appeared on Arnold's left screen: "Wow… I'm touched buddy."

Arnold scoffed and made another self-diagnostic: "Don't flatter yourself; I just want to get back at you for that lube stunt that you pulled back on Earth and I can't do that if you're dead."

The SCU pilot's face screwed up in confusion and it took him a few seconds to finally remember: "Holy crap, that was three years ago man!"

"And I still need to pay you back for that one so you can't die today," said Arnold without missing a beat: "That's an order."

Desjar grinned and saluted: "Yes sir!"

**XXXXX**

Hina held on to Timmy with all of her strength, but there was no pain nor did she feel like she was dying. She quickly looked at her boy who was clutching her tightly and found no wounds on him either. There was a heavy thud behind them and they looked back only to see the Cybran sprawled on the ground. His hand had been shot clean off and there was a large hole in his forehead as well. A soft hiss made Hina look up and she saw a smoking hole through the ventilation shaft.

"I am a Cybran commander," said Dostya who was still displayed on the screen in front of them: "But that doesn't mean that I'm a monster or that I'm stupid either."

A panel from the ventilation shaft was kicked open and Hina yelped as another Cybran jumped down with weapons in hand: "Are you ok, miss?"

She nodded quickly as the soldier moved past her and grabbed the traitor's weapons. He had to shake it a few times before finally dislodging the severed hand: "There's an old saying: keep your friends close and your enemies even closer. Well that and never trust an Assumpta jerk. I guess these guys never realized that if they could infiltrate these facilities then we could do it just as easily."

"Keith, we need to plan out an immediate evacuation," said Dostya, drawing the commando back to the situation at hand: "If Mather's really in trouble then…"

The commando was shaking his head before she could finish: "If that guy was ordered to do something as drastic as blackmail you then Redfog must have been dead serious about Aeon troops being right on his tail. If we leave now then we'll likely lose Mather."

Dostya cursed under her breath before nodding: "All right, then we get the other Assumpta commandos out of the way at least. I don't need a war on two fronts. Get Hina and the boy outside and I'll build a ground transport to ship them out. I might buy us some time with the UEF that way."

Another light blinked on Dostya's console and she opened a channel: "This is a bad time, Bagby."

If the SCU pilot heard her, he gave no indication: "We have a problem, D; the UEF has not sent any spy planes, troops, boats or anything in our area."

Dostya frowned and looked at the old man: "How is that a problem?"

"High ranking UEF officials don't climb that high by doing nothing," warned Bagby with a grimace: "I'd bet my left testicle that what's coming is going to be ugly and it'll happen soon…"

**Chapter 10 **

**Close quarter fighting **

"Well, this is an interesting puzzle," said Marxon. He gave it some thought before nodding and opening a channel: "This is Avatar-of-War Marxon to all Aeon forces. From this point onward, you will not open a channel or listen to any other source of communication except for mine. Doing so may endanger the lives of those held captive and I expect you all to follow this instruction to the letter. I will be taking direct control of the battle and I am forwarding production and patrol orders to each of you."

"You will be divided in teams with the objective of either patrolling the area and preventing any escape or producing the necessary units," said Marxon without pause: "Military forces will be dropped at this location and transferred to me as necessary. I will take full responsibility for this operation and for any casualty incurred amongst the prisoners. That is all."

Marxon closed the channel and opened a new one: "Pao, Lani, you will be deployed at these locations after I begin the initial attack. You will build the necessary artilleries and defend them as per our usual tactic."

The Avatar-of-War saw the hesitation in their eyes and smiled softly: "Do not worry, the artilleries will be set on manual fire. I will assign targets to them only after the buildings in the area have been scanned. Be alert and watch out for any Cybran ACU that might try to sneak past you. Stay out of range of their overcharged cannons and let the point defense turrets do their job."

Both pilots nodded fiercely and went to their task. Marxon then pressed both hands in front of him while his troops deployed and gave the situation more thought. He was not taking this mission alone out of vanity or pride, but rather because he could not figure out why the Cybrans were acting this way. The attack on Luthien had been precise and demonstrated either a profound understanding in the Aeon Illuminate's inner workings or a large security leak.

Although he had no proof to back it up, the unscheduled access to their most secured network suggested that they had succeeded in their mission, but then why were they still here? Their hostage stratagem was brilliant and required some careful troop maneuvering, but even with it, there was no doubt that the Cybrans would fall. Were they hoping that an Aeon commander would kill the students by accident or was it something else?

His thoughts were interrupted when a signal indicated that the commanders were in place all around the enemy base and a large swarm of fighters was patrolling the border. Marxon took control of his ACU and moved forward. Now was the time to attack.

**XXXXX**

"Redfog is coming in hot," came the warning through every Assumpta's transmitter: "Everyone report to the gate on the double!"

All around the facility, Assumpta assassins stopped whatever they were doing and ran outside. There a ground transport waited for them and they quickly jumped aboard. The door closed automatically as soon as the last of them stepped inside.

"Wait, where's Urzu Twelve?" asked one of them after making a body count. Dostya's face appeared on the screen in front of them almost immediately: "He's dead and you're all relieved of duty."

Urzu One quickly stepped up: "You killed him, didn't you? You'd better kill us right now then because we won't rest until…"

"Hey bit brain!" interrupted Keith, his face appearing next to Dostya's on the screen: "There's a series of explosive charges in the passenger section and I have my finger on the trigger. Now be nice; I've been known to have twitchy digits. Take a seat, shut up and enjoy the ride home."

The assassin growled but did as he was ordered. Satisfied, Keith closed the channel to the passenger section and nodded to Sjet. The other commando activated the transport and drove it towards the quantum gate. Keith looked at Dostya on his monitor and nodded: "We'll jump to Node Fifty-Six and then transfer them back to Assumpta."

Keith hesitated for a moment before adding: "Dostya? Please make it home safely."

Dostya nodded and cut off the transmission. Soon afterwards, Bagby's face appeared: "Such touchy bitty moments before a battle always bring a tear to my eye."

Dostya sneered and checked her long range scans: "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure, whatever you say D," said Bagby. The old SCU pilot reached inside a pocket, brought up a mouth guard and vividly chewed in it. Dostya was momentarily confused: "Do I even want to know why you're using that?"

"Probably not," admitted Bagby with a shrug. He smiled as he added: "But I'll give you a hint: it has nothing to do with French kissing."

Dostya ignored the comment and opened a broadband audio channel: "UEF forces, we are releasing Hina and Timmy Tural as a sign of good faith. They will be in an unarmed transport heading south west from our position. We will be expecting a status on the prisoner exchange soon."

There was no answer aside from the sudden appearance of multiple signatures on their sensors. Bagby cheered excitedly: "All right! That's what I call negotiating!"

**XXXXX**

Arnold fetched a bandage from the emergency kit and plugged it into the hole behind him to stop the leak: "Damned broken humidifier!"

Both Arnold and Desjar's command units were being transported through the air by separate units along with the brunt of their forces. Below them was Riley's navy which would make sure that a safe corridor would exist for either reinforcements or retreat.

"Hey boss, I've been thinking about the Mavor," said Desjar while looking at the specifications absent mindedly: "It's never been used in actual combat so what happens if it overheats or something? What if…"

Arnold tightened his safety straps and shrugged: "Then we do things the old fashion way and hope that we kill the Cybran commander before he decides to kill the hostages. We'll see if he still has balls of steel when we're the ones doing a surprise attack."

"Sure thing buddy," said Desjar with a shrug, having expected such an outcome. A light flared on his screen and he pressed a button: "Incoming transmission, audio only. I'm putting it through."

The partial mechanical voice came through the speakers immediately: "UEF forces, we are releasing Hina and Timmy Tural as a sign of good faith. They will be in an unarmed transport heading south west from our position. We will be expecting a status on the prisoner exchange soon."

"Holy cow!" said Desjar in surprise: "By the sound, I'd say that she's a chick!"

Arnold was about to retort that he should be used to it by now after fighting the Aeon Illuminate for so long, but missiles suddenly filled the air and exploded dangerously closed to them: "Emergency drop!"

There was a loud clang as the transport released them both. The command units started dropping at an alarming speed and Arnold found it hard to breathe as they began to freefall. They dropped a good eighty meters before finally hitting the water and the shock almost made Arnold puke all over the cockpit. The command units were meant to resist such extreme shocks and pressures, but the pilots still felt the brunt of these impacts. They twirled around in the water, unable to control their descent and finally crashed at the bottom of the sea.

"They… need to invent parachutes one of these days," muttered Arnold between curses. His ACU got back to its feet and her refocused his monitor on the nearby SCU: "You ok?"

Desjar's face appeared on his monitor and nodded: "Any higher and I'd need a new pair of pants."

Both ACU and SCU started walking towards the shore. A few minutes later they emerged from the water and stepped on the sandy beach surrounded by patrolling Titans and Broadswords. Arnold took stock of his units and plotted a course along a path that led up along the cliff and towards the enemy base: "All right, let's earn our pay!"

**XXXXX**

The Galactic Colossus moved ponderously forward, each step shaking the ground and forcing the units trailing it through multiple course corrections to avoid bumping in each other. Scores of harbingers and mobile artillery were not far behind and were covered by mobile flak artilleries which in turn were protected by mobile shield generators. A group of Cybran mobile flak danced in front of the Aeon forces, staying barely out of range but threatening the air space in the area.

By all appearances, the Cybrans were in full retreat, but that impression lasted only up to the point where the battle moved in range of their artillery. The battlefield erupted with explosions that tore through Aeon units. The galactic colossus ignored the damage and pressed on, seeming oblivious to the artillery shells which rarely connected with it or caused any damage. The units behind it were not so lucky with the energy shields quickly failing. Without those, a single artillery blast was enough to destroy a mobile flak and their numbers dropped dramatically before they got within two kilometers from the Cybran base. Scores of renegade gunships covered by Gemini air superiority fighters surged forward, pummeling what was left of the task force's anti-air capabilities and then moving on the other ground units.

The Aeon forces lost half its units in the next few seconds and it was then that a line of loyalist bots surged forth. They looked almost ridiculous as they charged forward towards the seemingly unstoppable giant and a pair of them was quickly dragged by its tractor claws and crushed. The resulting EMP explosion stopped the whole battle and it was at that precise moment that tactical missiles were launched.

Ten missiles connected with the galactic colossus and blew up a huge section of its chest plate. Another loyalist exploded before the giant's systems could be fully reinitialized which paralyzed it again and another volley of missiles tore an arm from its socket. A third volley finished it off and it toppled to the ground, its engines shrieking in protest before going critical. The resulting explosion destroyed the remaining Loyalists and granted a few seconds of peace before the battle resumed.

The confrontation had cost the Cybrans eight Loyalists, seven gunships, six air superiority fighters and a lot of tactical missiles. The Aeon losses were easily several times those numbers and yet it could not be called a victory. The Aeon had over twenty commanders pouring units through the mountain's narrow passes and their production rate was several times greater than what two Cybran commander could ever hope to match.

Mather gritted his teeth and replaced the lost units as quickly as he could: "That's the fourth galactic colossus that we've brought down so far and still no sign of that so called Avatar-of-War. How much longer do you intend to keep us here?"

Redfog appeared neither troubled nor upset by the declaration: "That's good news."

"Say that again?" asked Mather, hoping that the other pilot was not completely insane.

"What I feared the most was having a dozen ACUs show on screen and that would be problematic since I'd have to guess which was the right one," observed Redfog while looking at his sensors: "I'm beginning to suspect that since we're not spotting any that the Avatar is taking care of this fight personally."

Mather would have thrown up his hands in exasperation if it would not have implied the destruction of a dozen units which required his immediate attention: "Oh that's great! I feel better already!"

"You're not the one that's going to rush in the middle of their forces when the opportunity arises," observed Redfog dryly. The assassin then refocused on the battlefield: "We have the Avatar… now all we need is the proper incentive to force him into the open."

With that, Redfog pulled back his forces too far and allowed the Aeon air force to get closer. Mather would have compensated, but his own forces were stretched thin enough as it was: "What the hell are you doing?"

A pair of Aeon spy planes managed to get closer to their base and scan the outer perimeter before being blown to pieces. Barely a few seconds later, artillery fire covered the area that had been scanned and destroyed the turrets and decoy building. Mather swore viciously: "Now they know it's a fake! We can't build anything at that spot without it getting bombed to pieces!"

The assassin sighed loudly: "How many times must I explain this? We are not trying to win; we are trying to kill one target. We'll draw him out if he thinks he's about to win. Besides, I just sent a few spy planes in the direction of that artillery fire and there are two firebases covered by SCUs. It's useful information."

Mather directed a squadron of Renegade gunships to intercept a dozen harbingers that had just been dropped south of their position: "I just hope that they don't win because we allowed them to think that they were!"

Redfog shrugged and let it slide. For a moment, he considered calling the whole operation off, but not out of any fear for their safety. The attacks made against them were good, but he expected more from an Avatar-of-War. Maybe the myth surrounding the title was more exaggerated then he had originally thought.

**XXXXX**

Never in all of his life had Marxon made such a series of sloppy attacks. The fact that he did them on purpose would make most other commanders blanch, but his purpose was not to win through classical means, but rather to understand his enemy. The Cybrans were very good and showed an equal portion of speed and creative thinking in their counterattacks. Yet so far they had neither executed the students nor fled Luthien and they most likely had more than enough opportunities to do either.

Suddenly the Cybran line faltered and a few Aeon spy planes managed to get a good scan of its outer perimeter. Once it was confirmed that no life signs were present, Marxon shelled the area with his artilleries and watched with a measure of satisfaction as part of the Cybran defensive line vanished. He moved his ACU forward one step, but stopped in his tracks as something else occurred to him: was it on purpose?

He brought six pictures of the Cybran base taken from the spy planes and compared them. The scans had not been done in the crafts' Omni range so the data was limited, but a visual inspection would suffice. Marxon's eyes widened when he noticed the one detail that was missing: snow.

Half of the structures had an accumulation of snow on one side which indicated that they had been present for a few hours at least but the other half composed mainly of offensive structures did not.

This could mean only one thing: their current strategy was not the original one. For some reason, they had decided only recently to make a stand which clearly indicated that their objectives had changed. They were aiming for something other than the princess or escape… and the only thing left of similar value on this planet was him.

Marxon smiled now that he finally understood and kept going through his original sloppy attacks. He would take advantage of the openings and pretend to fall into them exactly as they wanted. Only when the point of no return was reached would he show them what he was truly capable of.

**XXXXX**

"Hey Riley?" asked Arnold as a titan exploded right in front of him. His screen blinked out momentarily in order not to blind the pilot even as he asked: "You know that toy of yours? Now would be a really good time to use it!"

An approaching Loyalist shot Arnold's ACU in the chest and he immediately turned his cannons on it and blew it up with a well-placed overcharged shot. The resulting EMP field paused all of his units for a few seconds before they resumed fire. Through it all, Riley stood impassively on his screen: "This is why I did not want you there, Arnold. If I start using the Mavor randomly then the Cybrans will escape before we manage to pierce the heavy shield network surrounding their quantum gates. No doubt they would blow up the building where the hostages are held before leaving and I can't allow that to happen. We need to find that ACU!"

Arnold cursed, but Desjar interrupted him before he made some colorful remarks: "Hey boss, I think I spotted the ACU in my Omni field for a split second, but I can't confirm it. We need an Omni Sensor with a greater range!"

Arnold cursed under his breath, but acknowledged Desjar's advice and went to work: "ETA thirty seconds, cover me!"

Desjar aimed at the spot where he thought that he had seen the ACU and his eyes widened when he saw a Cybran SCU charged through the line of loyalists: "Incom…"

The rest of his warning was cut off as a loyalist self-destructed; the EMP field temporarily paralyzing his systems. The SCU pilot could barely hear Arnold speak to him: "What… repeat…"

The SCU pilot's systems rebooted and he began shooting frantically at the enemy, scoring a hit on the arm that held the deadly EMP cannon. Instead of shooting back, the Cybran kept rushing towards him and a short range transmission began overlapping his link with Arnold: "Time to dance, Johnny boy!"

A missile from a nearby Viper blew up the Omni Sensor before Arnold could complete it and he cursed loudly while turning around: "What did you say Desjar?"

Arnold's eyes widened when he saw a Cybran SCU – most likely Bagby – charge right into his partner, lock its arms under the UEF SCU's own, lift it off its feet and carry it away. Somehow, he managed to hold on to his struggling captive long enough to reach the edge of the cliff and jump down.

The duo fell down the hundred meter cliff while occasionally slamming into rock formations every few dozen meters. They finally crashed on the sandy beach below and the shock knocked out Desjar's breath. He tasted blood and he dimly realized that he had been lucky not to bite his tongue clean through. Desjar managed to control his SCU back to its feet: "You ugly son of a…"

Bagby crashed into him before he could finish the insult and Desjar suddenly found himself on his back once again: "Tomatoes are natural aphrodisiacs!"

The sentence from the garbled transmission made Desjar pause for a split second as he tried to digest it and the enemy SCU head butted him viciously for it. The blow was so well aimed that Desjar felt the brunt of the impact and his head collided painfully with his seat. Star clouded his vision just as his opponent got back up. The Cybran SCU raised its arm and Desjar's eyes widened when he saw the damaged EMP cannon realign itself in mere seconds. Webs of metal were already forming where the SCU had been shot and it was almost fully repaired.

"Arnold I need help…" cried Desjar, but he could not finish his sentence as the SCU came down, its elbow crashing straight in Desjar's cockpit. The SCU got back up and brought both arms crashing down on the same target: "And a pony!"

**XXXXX**

"Riley, drop the next wave of Titans on the beach now! Desjar's in trouble!" shouted Arnold in a hurry, ignoring their difference in rank. The Lieutenant General frowned, but complied. Even then, only three out of the six incoming transport managed to get in range and drop their troops even as Riley spoke: "Calm down, Arnold. Sensors here show that Desjar's SCU is not taking much if any damage."

The six Titans from the transport trained their weapons on the Cybran SCU and opened fire. Before Arnold's unbelieving eyes, the enemy started a maneuver that made it look like he was convulsing. The SCU was twisting and turning, its EMP cannon keeping half of the units paralyzed while focusing its pulse laser on a single titan at a time. The continued motion prevented the Titans from doing any serious damage to any component and the SCU's enhanced regenerating system was repairing its armor too quickly. The worst part, however, was that every few moments, the SCU managed to hit Desjar with a well-placed kick, punch, elbow drop or even head butt and all of them were aimed at the cockpit.

"He's not trying to blow up Desjar's SCU," shouted Arnold when he understood the pattern of attack: "He's trying to kill the pilot through the armor!"

The Titans were not cutting it and there was nothing in range that would blow up the Cybran and not kill Desjar in the process. There was no telling in what condition Desjar was in nor how much more he could take and Arnold quickly scanned the cliff side for the safest way down. Riley seemed to notice this and frowned: "Don't you dare to…"

The UEF ACU jumped over the cliff side before Riley could finish his sentence. Arnold tried to control his slide down and to his credit, succeeded in the first twenty meters. One of the ACU's foot eventually got stuck in a rock formation for a few seconds, however, and it sent him spiraling out of control. The ride down felt as if he was in a chaotic roller coaster with a marching band playing too loudly and twenty armed guys beating him senseless from different angles.

The ACU landed face down with a loud clang at the bottom of the cliff and Arnold felt his safety belts nearly crush his chest. The sudden jolt and lack of breath threatened to leave him unconscious, but Arnold felt something cold and wet slide down his neck and follow his spine. The sensation startled him fully awake and he managed to draw a strained breath: "Darned… busted… humidifier!"

Arnold struggled to bring his ACU to its feet and saw the Cybran turn tail and run: "Where do you think… you're going… huh?"

Arnold brought his cannon up and dumped his energy reserves into an overcharge shot. He fired, but missed and cursed his cloudy vision. He shook his head a few times to clear it while the ACU recharged the weapon and then aimed carefully. He had to compensate manually since half of his targeting scanners were recovering from the crash, but this time his aim was true. Unfortunately, the Cybran SCU had reached the shore by then and dove in the water at the last possible second. The swirling ball of energy exploded, releasing a huge ball of steam. When it cleared, the Cybran was gone.

**XXXXX**

Dostya stood atop the cliff overlooking the recent battle and felt a measure of satisfaction as she looked down at the UEF units. Part of the enemy ACU's communications equipment must have been damaged as she managed to intercept and decrypt part of their transmissions. She saw the ACU pilot, dazed and disoriented as he frantically made his way to his friend. The transmission from the downed SCU was even worse with the pilot simply unconscious in his chair, with blood flowing freely from his mouth and nose.

"Desjar, come on buddy, wake up!" there was no response from the SCU pilot and this alarmed the speaker: "Riley, he needs an evac right now!"

The transmission was quickly cut off as the ACU's encryption protocols finally kicked in. Dostya stood motionless on the cliff without a hint of sympathy: "That one is for what you did back on Earth three years ago, but we're not done with you yet."

**Chapter 11 **

**Destiny **

The shark moved slowly through the water while making as few motions as possible. Its eyes were fixed on the swarm of fishes that were moving together not far ahead. It – like most local marine life – had been cloned and then released in the wild during Matar's original terraforming efforts. The colonists had been reluctant to breed sharks in their first few years, but it has been a necessity when plankton levels dropped dramatically due to the lack of a natural predator.

The hunter's tail grew tense, ready to spring into action when the fishes suddenly panicked and fled in every direction. It understood why and did the same when a giant form stormed right past where it had been hiding. Bagby whistled in appreciation from the cockpit of his SCU: "Now that's what I call a good fishing spot!"

A pair of torpedoes exploded behind his SCU and tore a piece of its shoulder. Webs of metals from the enhanced regeneration system automatically sprung out of the armor to cover the damaged area and started repairs. The SCU stopped in its tracks, turned it's torso around and activated its building laser. Command units were not meant for underwater combat, but they were still capable of reclaiming materials and right now, the laser was focused on the submarine's reactor. It lasted only a few moments before it went critical and what was left sank to the bottom.

"Hah! That's all you got?" shouted Bagby triumphantly. A four hundred meter long Atlantis appeared as if to answer him and Bagby turned tail and ran: "It's an eight hundred meter dash to the finish line, the game is tied and all hopes are on the quarterback…"

The SCU jumped to the left and used a coral formation as cover just as a series of far more powerful torpedoes exploded. The underwater shockwave threw him forward but at least it was in the right direction and he built upon the momentum even as he spoke: "He runs as if a huge mother in law was on his tail! The crowd holds its breath in anticipation…"

Warning signals indicated that four more torpedoes were trailing him and Bagby pushed his engines to their limit. He managed to get on the shore just in time, but the explosion blew up a nearby rock formation and huge boulder hit his SCU on the side of its head, tearing half its sensors off. In front of the SCU were a dozen Titans which locked their weapons on him. Bagby ignored them and charged straight through: "Twenty seconds left on the clock and a wall of defenders in front of him. Our quarterback charges straight through with weapons blazing!"

Dozens of shots found the SCU and melted sizable sections of its forward chest plate. A return EMP blast paralyzed half the Titans and a few shots from its pulse laser blew another. The SCU would have destroyed one more, but a lucky shot damaged its laser before it could switch targets. Bagby ran forward and swung the damaged arm down, impaling a titan's leg and tearing it off in one fell swoop.

"Less than a hundred meters to the finish line and the crowd is cheering him on," shouted Bagby while twisting his head away just as one of his consoles shorted out. The following cacophony indicated that a pair of Broadswords was pummeling him. Plumes of smokes followed the SCU as its engines desperately tried to compensate for the constant beating: "The clock is ticking… three… two… one…"

The SCU finally managed to reach the Cybran line and the local SAM launchers destroyed the trailing Broadswords. The SCU stopped once it reached the safety of a shield generator, raised its arms with the impaled titan leg and threw the useless appendage to the ground: "Touchdown! The crowd goes wild as they want more, more and more! They chant his name loudly with cries of…"

"Bagby!" came the sudden interruption. The SCU pilot paused, wiped the sooth from one of his still functioning screens and opened a channel: "Hey D, glad to see you! It's going to take me a few minutes to get me patched up, but I just discovered the nicest fishing pond! When this war is over, I'll retire here and build a football field in my spare time."

Dostya's face twisted in utter confusion for a split second, but then she shrugged it away, deciding that her questions were better asked another time: "Did you see any Fatboys at the bottom of the sea?"

Bagby brought a leg up and kicked the left corner of his cockpit to stop the small fire that had just erupted: "Nope, but they are not hitting us with everything they got either so no one is to collect on the bet I made earlier, all right?"

"Uh… sure," said Dostya as she closed the channel and focused on the UEF ACU which was retreating with its troops along the coast: "Time to finish you off."

**XXXXX**

The transport stopped suddenly and Hina looked around for what was wrong. There was no sign of damage and the controls were locked so there was nothing that she could do. Timmy grabbed her arm and pointed towards the north east where the battle was raging. He looked at the display with wide eyes and to him, this was probably the same thing as a huge fireworks festival.

"You think it's beautiful, don't you?" asked Hina, her mind invariably turning to the other hostages in the settlement: "I guess it is in some way… but what are we supposed to do now?"

A few buttons immediately lit up and a metallic voice came through: "The prudent course of action would be to step outside the transport and head roughly fifty meters away from it. The transport is tied to the ACU that created it and it will self-destruct if the link is lost. Before you leave, however, there is a favor that I would ask of you."

Hina immediately grabbed Timmy in her arms: "Or what? You'll lock us in here until we die?"

The voice grew warmer as if the Cybran on the other side actually understood what she was going through: "Please do not be alarmed, I cannot harm you in any fashion nor would I wish to. If you would but press the video uplink button that is flashing then we will be able to continue this discussion face to face."

Hina hesitated a few moments before pressing it and gasped as the face of an old man appeared on the screen. The well-known Cybran nodded in a friendly manner: "Ah hello! By your reaction, I would say that you already know who I am, but if not then let me introduce myself: I am Doctor Gustav Brackman and it is a pleasure to meet you."

Hina blinked a few times to digest the information. Before her was the most notorious enemy of the UEF and the one icon that came to mind when someone spoke of the Cybrans. It was hard to reconcile that image with the smiling hologram that would have been mistaken for a benevolent grandfather under other circumstances.

"What do you want from us?" asked Hina while clutching Timmy to her chest. The Doctor looked away shyly and then back at her: "I... I am trying to find a way to ask a favor of you and although the request is simple, transmitting the meaning behind it is not. How should I say this?"

Brackman looked from left to right and his confusion peaked Hina's curiosity. The Cybran collected his thoughts for a few seconds longer before speaking again: "Do you know how parents sometimes want to save their children from a painful event despite lacking the power to do so? Dostya – the pilot that set you free – may have a terrible trial ahead of her and only you have the power to spare her such an ordeal. Like all Cybrans, I look upon her as one of my children and although there is nothing that I can do to convince you otherwise, I would like you to spare her."

Hina clutched Timmy tighter: "Your 'children' tried to kill us not long ago!"

To her surprise, Brackman flinched at that accusation and looked down: "Every family has their children who had… harsher pasts. It does not excuse what happened nor diminish my role in all of this and despite their flaws, I care for them as well. I hope that you can believe me when I say that I am deeply sorry for the trials that you had to endure."

Hina would have offered a retort, but she found it hard to question the sincerity in the Doctor's eyes as he kept speaking: "My plea is a simple one: I beg of you to spare Dostya's family."

Hina looked from her boy and back to the screen: "What? I don't understand."

"Dostya still has a family back on Earth," said Brackman carefully: "All of them normal humans and citizens of the United Earth Federation. It is customary for any rescued hostages to be debriefed thoroughly and a clever man would find that link soon enough and try to use it against her. She – like other pilots – has prepared herself for such an upcoming ordeal and she sees it as inevitable. That is why she has spared you and the other hostages where others would have considered the alternative."

This went against everything that Hina had been taught concerning Cybrans. Before the hostage situation, she had always considered them to be virus invested machines and not people who might still have attachments back on Earth. She hesitated a long moment as Brackman bowed his head in supplication: "So I would ask you this favor as a parent to another: please spare her the agony of having her family used against her."

**XXXXX**

"What the hell are you waiting for?" shouted Arnold as he fired a stream of shots at the incoming Cybran units: "I'm getting pounded over here! Use your new toy and let's end this game!"

Riley airdropped some more Titans to assist Arnold and had a few ships moved into support range. Desjar's SCU had been recovered and gated to another UEF settlement. The Mavor was ready to fire, but the Lieutenant General still left it on standby: "Find me that Cybran ACU, Arnold. That is your top priority."

Riley did not elaborate any further to the so called hero of Orionis and for good reason: the man was incapable of grasping the true realities of war. The UEF was holding its own, but it had not scored any major victory in a while. The Mavor was the key, the one symbol that if presented properly would bolster morale, recruitment and give everyone a much needed push for a few years at least. Its destructive potential was unmatched, but it was not without its flaws; costly, impractical and long to produce. It was by no means perfect, but it would sustain their war efforts long enough to find a better solution.

The one problem, however, was presentation. The enemy ACU was cloaked and her quantum gates well protected by multiple layers of shields. Attacking randomly would give the enemy time to escape and the worst case scenario was that she would execute the hostages before leaving. That would paint the Mavor as a failure… a weapon that had not killed the invaders and baptized in a sea of UEF blood.

If the enemy was proven to be overwhelming, by killing the hero of Orionis for example, then the Mavor could yet be hailed as the weapon that stopped the invasion of Matar. It would not be a glorious entry, but at least that way it would actually be deployed through the UEF.

Of course there was no way that he could tell such a thing to Arnold and Riley was doing everything in his power to help him. In the meantime, however, the experimental weapon would remain silent for the good of the UEF until the Cybran was found… or until Arnold got killed.

**XXXXX**

"We've reached our limit!" said Mather in frustration, his fingers flying over his controls in a blur. Their defenses were compromised and despite pushing every unit to their limits, recycling fallen enemies and repairing damage buildings, their forces were being replaced at the same rate that they were falling. From this point on, a single mistake on their part would ensure their doom.

"We have to evacuate now or all is lost!" insisted Mather again, but his heart sank when he spared a glance towards Redfog. The assassin was commanding his units as quickly as Mather, but his eyes still burned with unshaken conviction: "Not yet, just a little… there! I have a lock on him!"

The data was forwarded to Mather and an ACU icon appeared on his screen. A swarm of enemy units was around it, however, which made any attack impossible even with Redfog's new laser. The assassin laughed softly: "Give it a minute and I'll bet that he'll send those forward and create an opening! Soon, you'll be back in your girlfriend's arms and I'll have what I want!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," objected Mather even as his face flushed in embarrassment. He grew angry when the assassin mocked him: "I find it funny that it's always the psychotic one that sees things for what they really are. You love her and she loves you, but the two of you are just too damned foolish to admit it. Always planning, reasoning and analyzing what a child could understand in moments. Why do you think that I allowed her to be the one in charge of Matar, a rookie ACU pilot at that? I knew that she'd fight through hell and back to make sure that you would have a safe way home!"

The statement hit Mather like a bulldozer and had it not been for the AI part of his brain then surely he would have frozen in place. The worst part was that Redfog, the creature that was as inhuman as anyone he had ever met, was right. Looking at it now, in the middle of a war with his very life in the balance, Mather could no longer deny it: he loved her. At that moment, the Aeon troops moved forward just as the assassin had predicted.

"Finally, my destiny awaits!" exclaimed Redfog, his eyes burning with zeal: "I will prove my existence once and for all!"

Redfog stepped forward and was about to charge towards the enemy ACU with all of his units as cover when suddenly every Aeon units pulled back. The silence was as disturbing as entering the eye of a tornado and a cold chill ran down Mather's spine.

The attack resumed three seconds later with Aeon units suddenly appearing out of nowhere and tripling in numbers. The clash was furious as hundreds of harbingers were airdropped all around their base and the sky was filled by superiority fighters and bombers. Their defenses were overwhelmed and yet the two Cybrans fought on in the insane battle that followed. Defensive structures exploded and even economic structures went critical, damaging nearby buildings.

When the attack wave was finally countered, the Cybran base was barely standing and Mather paled when he looked at the critical element that had exploded: "The gate nexus' main core had been destroyed and there's just one gate left. Only one of us can head back."

**XXXXX**

The students huddled together and covered their heads. The last series of explosions had shaken the ground and knocked out a few lights. They looked around when it stopped, amazed that they were still alive. Of all the students, only Ariel appeared to be happy: "Marxon is coming, I just know it!"

She tried to encourage the other students, telling them that the Cybrans did not stand a chance against him, but most were too frightened to listen to her. Rhianne ignored her and looked at one of the upper corners of the room where she suspected that a hidden camera might be. Defeated or not, Redfog was still alive and could kill them all if he wished it.

"What will you do now?" whispered Rhianne to herself: "Will you still strive to prove your existence or will you give up?"

**XXXXX**

The attack was a success and more units were inbound. In less than three minutes, Marxon would have enough forces under his command to finish off the Cybrans once and for all. Scans from a few spy planes had confirmed the locations of the kidnapped students and he highlighted it on his screen. He could lead his troops himself at the front, but if his instincts were correct then doing so would accomplish exactly what the Cybrans wanted. An element was still missing from the puzzle and until he knew what then he would not risk throwing it all away even if it meant risking the students' lives.

A warning light flared on Marxon's screen and he briefly consulted the report before opening a channel to Lani and Pao: "We have a class four storm incoming. I want you both to switch to integrity compensator upgrades in order to pull through it more easily. We will attack together and the two of you will be ahead of the storm with the objective to rush to the hostages, capture the building and protect them until the storm passes."

Both pilots nodded and Marxon closed the channel. His gaze then shifted towards what was left of the Cybran base even as he whispered: "This battle is over; you lost."

**XXXXX**

"Again I am denied!" growled Redfog menacingly before slamming a into his controls. A few seconds passed before he sighed deeply: "Well, goodbye Mather."

Mather felt his heart skip a beat. The assassin would leave him behind without a second thought or even an apology. He instinctively reached forward as if to stop him: "Wait!"

The assassin's ACU did not stop and kept moving towards the gate, kicking the remains of a Loyalist out of its way in the process: "The gate is under my control so even if you could kill me, you'd only cause it to self-destruct. That and I'm the one with the laser upgrade so if you even so much as aim at me then I'll kill you right here and now."

Redfog deigned to look at the other pilot for a heartbeat as he added: "I'll transfer my remaining facilities a split second before jumping through, however, so you will not be completely defenseless. All you'll have to do is hold your position for another twenty minutes..."

Without another word, Redfog closed the channel. He had underestimated the Avatar-of-War and looking back at the battle, he now realized that his opponent had somehow managed to build a series of stealth generators along the few plateaus of the rocky mountain. This had allowed him to slip a massive force into fighting range without being noticed and catch him by surprise. The assassin hated to admit it, but he found a new respect for his enemy.

"Still, I don't like to lose," said Redfog, a wicked grin appearing under his mask as he did so: "So how about breaking that promise and blowing up your little Princess?"

The assassin prepared the self-destruct sequence of the facility, but keyed in the internal camera on a whim. She was there… looking at him… judging him… questioning his very existence. Her past words echoed through his mind, twisting and torturing him in a way that no one had managed to do in several years.

This loss was just a minor setback due to lack of information. He had simply underestimated the Avatar-of-War, but he had originally intended to kill him for the sake of the Cybran Nation. He had even been willing to die for it! Did it not prove that he could care about something other than himself? It was only logical, however, that if the mission could no longer be completed and that only one pilot could leave that he would be the one. He was the better pilot; stronger, remorseless and a superior all around warrior. Next time he would do it…

The ACU stepped on at the edge of the quantum gate and stopped. Redfog's hand trembled over the key that would cause the prison facility to self-destruct. It was logical, it was precise, it made sense, it… A jolt ran through Redfog's body as he finally realized the one thing that he had been unwilling to admit: it was what he had always done.

The hand stopped trembling for a moment and pressed down.

**XXXXX**

He was going to die. The realization ran through Mather's mind over and over, but there was simply no escaping it. He was going to die and he would never see Dostya again. Mather looked at his options and found that he had none. He would wait until Redfog was gone and then make a burst transmission. He would tell Dostya how he truly felt and say his goodbyes. He could do that much at least and make sure that she knew that this mission had been his decision. He would…

"Transfer all of your units and structures to me," came a harsh command through his transmitter. Redfog's voice startled Mather and he saw the assassin's ACU move towards him: "What?"

"Just do it!" growled Redfog back without offering an explanation. Thinking that he was screwed anyway, Mather complied and transferred the few units that he had left. Redfog nodded at the confirmation codes and then looked at him: "Now go…"

"I don't understand," said Mather with genuine confusion. Redfog looked away, apparently focusing on one of his other screens: "Everything that I've done in my life has been for myself. I kill, cheat, betray, torture and more to meet my needs above all others. This time will be different. Now go before I change my mind and kill you to destroy that choice."

Mather hesitated a moment longer before nodding and moving towards the quantum gate. Redfog closed the channel and opened a new one, using the quantum network to reach Dostya. Her face appeared on his screen and it was quite obvious that she was furious at him for changing the mission: "The two of you get off Luthien and over here now! I can't hold off the UEF forever!"

"Only one of us can make it back," said Redfog with a dramatic paused. He actually enjoyed a perverse moment of pleasure as Dostya's features became outraged before adding: "I'm sending Mather and there won't be any need to wait for me. I'll transmit a code to you so that my people will not attempt to thwart you and so that the Assumpta Node will not seek retribution."

"I already sent them packing," observed Dostya. Redfog's eyes widened for a moment but then chuckled: "I guess there's more than one person that I underestimated today."

Dostya's eyes softened for a moment and she nodded: "Thank you."

"The two of you should stop being fools and be honest with each other," added Redfog as an afterthought: "You're making things far too complex than what they really need to be."

Redfog turned around and saw Mather uncloak in front of the gate. The ACU ejected all of its upgrades before stepping through the portal and disappearing. The following quantum energy wave illuminated the area temporarily and made it impossible to transport anything else for at least twenty minutes.

A rumble from the east caught Redfog's attention and he turned his ACU towards it. An enormous ice storm was quickly approaching with the potential to tear apart even the most hardened unit. The assassin closed his eyes and smiled under his mask: "How fitting…"

For the first time in his tortured existence, Redfog found a moment of peace and was ready to accept his destiny.

**XXXXX**

There was a brilliant flash and a Cybran ACU appeared on Matar. It took a few seconds for Mather to reinitialize his systems before Dostya and Bagby's faces appeared on his screen. There was no mistaking the happiness in Dostya's eyes at seeing him again: "Hey… I'm… I'm sending you the coordinates of the gate nexus. Let's go home."

Mather smiled and nodded, struggling with the words that he should have said a long time ago: "Dostya, there's something that I've been meaning to tell you for a while. I…"

Bagby suddenly jumped on his end of the screen and screamed: "Incoming!"

Dostya looked at her screen and saw the energy blasts fly over her and towards Mather's position: "Evasive maneuvers! Those UEF artilleries can't hit the broad side of a…"

The blast landed near the ACU and exploded in a radius far larger than anything Dostya had ever seen. An arm and a leg melted off instantly and the ACU toppled to the side. It barely had the time to crash to the ground before another blast hit it head on and the energy blast was augmented by the ACU's nuclear explosion.

"Mather!" screamed Dostya without thinking with tears suddenly clouding her vision.

**XXXXX**

The quantum channel was still open and Redfog's eyes opened wide when he heard Dostya's anguished scream. His instruments confirmed what his guts had told him: Mather was dead.

The assassin closed the channel with shaking hands, his mind unable to accept what had just transpired. The moment of peace was gone, torn from his life in the same way that everything else had been.

It had been one of the few… no… the only action that Redfog had ever accomplished for someone else without any consideration for himself. His hand shook over the controls as his shattered mind tried to cope with the loss, but he could no longer bear it. An agonizing scream rang through the cockpit, but it was not meant to last. The dark and animalistic instincts that had animated the assassin for as long as he remembered resurfaced and transformed the wail into a furious roar.

Alarms sounded through the cockpit, warning him of the approaching storm which was probably more than enough to finish off his base on its own. Redfog looked in that direction, but ignored the approaching harbingers and the SCUs that were leading them and focused on the storm itself. Destiny had stolen his last chance at redemption and now it was coming for him: "This is your doing!"

Redfog's fingers flew over the controls, queuing the last few units and factories that were still functional. The assassin focused on the approaching storm again, his eyes wild: "You tried to claim me so often before and this is as close as you'll ever get. Don't hold back!"

**Chapter 12 **

**Merciless night **

"Confirmed ACU explosion, we won!" exclaimed Riley, his eyes shining with pride. He waited, expecting the Cybran forces to self-destruct any second now, but they did not. The Lieutenant General felt a cold chill run through his spine as Arnold confirmed his suspicions: "It did not hit the right ACU! Shoot, damn it, shoot!"

Cursing under his breath, Riley assigned a dozen targets to the Mavor and watched the huge cannon fire in quick successions. The battle was won, but would they kill the remaining cloaked ACU before the hostages were executed?

**XXXXX**

Dozens of ACU icons were on the screen and the information next to each of them was refreshed every few seconds. Each represented a Cybran commander that was on a mission somewhere either to defend their installations, spy on enemies or attack. QAI was the one in charge of assembling, updating and calculating the odds of success for each of them.

One such icon suddenly turned red and the information next to it confirmed its destruction as well as the time of death. It was not simply a lost signal or a commander going into high stealth mode; the destruction had been confirmed by the sensors of another ACU standing not too far away from it. Mather was dead.

Doctor Brackman allowed himself a few seconds to grieve for Mather, but then quickly opened a channel. Bagby's face appeared on his screen and it was clearly apparent that he was not taking the news any better.

"Please get her out of there, Bagby," The old SCU pilot brushed away a tear before nodding and closing the channel.

**XXXXX**

The remains of the ACU lay motionless on the battlefield and were barely more than melted alloys. There were no possibilities of survival since every emergency and backup systems of the ACU were no longer transmitting. Mather was dead and Dostya could barely cope with the reality of it.

It was not supposed to be possible and yet somehow the UEF had shot Mather as soon as he arrived. Mather had gated a few hundred meters away from the gate nexus and into Cybran controlled territory. The nexus itself had been configured to transport them all back home quickly instead of welcoming additional reinforcements. If it had been configured otherwise and if Mather had transported to the gate instead of making a hot drop then he would have been safely hidden behind layers of shields.

Dostya felt tremors run through her body, but did not dare to move as if any motion would confirm that this was not a nightmare. Warning signals blared left and right as her troops were pummeled by the new UEF experimental weapon. Suddenly, her ACU shifted precariously backwards and was lifted off the ground. A quick look on her sensors showed that Bagby was carrying her on his back towards the gate nexus and plotting a course that ensured that they were under friendly shields. The realization that he was attempting to take her away woke her up from her lethargic state.

"Let me go, Bagby!" shouted Dostya, her grief transforming into fury: "I'm not leaving! I'll hide on Matar for months if I have to, but I'm not leaving Mather behind. I'm not…"

Bagby's face appeared on her screen and to her shock, she saw a tear fall down his sooth covered face: "I just lost my boy… don't ask me to let go of my girl as well."

She resisted a second longer, but then she finally recognized the grief in the old SCU pilot's eyes. It mirrored her own and she could tell that he would have gladly died to save Mather's life. Dostya's shoulders dropped, but she was unwilling to cry just yet.

The SCU and ACU reached the gate and each took their position inside a portal. Dostya prepared the entry sequence and looked to the controls on her left. She could detonate the building where the hostages were kept and for a moment, she considered doing so out of spite. A layer of shields above them collapsed as it was mercilessly pounded by enemy artillery and the weaker one underneath would not hold for long.

She hesitated a moment longer before nodding: "I'm not going to kill you…"

She pressed a button and activated the portal sequence. Bolts of lightning raced along their commands units as Dostya closed her eyes: "But I don't have to save you either."

Both units disappeared just as the shield collapsed and a few seconds later, the gate nexus was destroyed. The remaining Cybran units all stopped as soon as they lost contact, waited a few seconds and then self-destructed.

**XXXXX**

Arnold was charging up the hill with a fresh batch of Titans when the entire Cybran force self-destructed. He cursed loudly, fearing that he already knew what had happened: "Riley, did you kill that other pilot?"

"Negative, they escaped," answered the Lieutenant General with a grave tone. Arnold's heart skipped a beat as it struck him: were they too late?

Pushing his ACU to its limits, Arnold ran all the way towards the remains of New Hampshire and took stock of the desolated surroundings. Most of the facilities had been destroyed by the explosion of the Cybran forces and he scanned frantically around for survivors. His sensors finally locked on to something and he ran towards it: "I found them!"

Before him was a building with hostages coming out of it. Many were wounded and some had to be carried out on stretchers. He felt a pang of guild at the suffering that they had endured, but all of that was washed away as the civilians waved at him and cheered.

"We'll need medical and excavation teams over here as soon as possible," said Arnold as he took stock of the injured: "But most of them appear to be safe. Congratulations Riley, that Mavor of yours sure did the trick and we pushed them out in time."

The Lieutenant General finally let go of the breath that he had been holding and slumped in his seat: they had won.

**XXXXX**

Marxon was not surprised when two dozen Cybran air units appeared on his radar and headed straight for him. They moved in small groups and engaged in a myriad of evasive patterns that were a wonder to behold. A lesser commander might have been entranced by the display of micro management, but Marxon was the Avatar-of-War and acted accordingly.

Coronas and mobile flak responded while Marxon's ACU surrounded itself with hastily built shield generators and sensors. One by one, the Cybran units were destroyed as Marxon continued his elegant dance of war. He knew that the Cybrans had lost their gate nexus and he knew that their last chance was to either escape or kill him and he would not give them either opportunity. All Cybran units were destroyed twenty seconds after the attack had begun and Marxon stood poised and ready for another wave, but none came.

His units were ready as was his Omni Sensor and shields, but the enemy ACU had not been part of the attack wave. It was then that Marxon saw what had just happened on the other end of the Cybran base.

**XXXXX**

Pao and Lani ran down the hill with a dozen harbingers assigned to guard them. They were barely a minute ahead of the storm which was quickly gaining on them and even now, they heard the constant sound of hail pounding the rear of their SCUs. They moved with the conviction of those that had absolute faith in their commander for Marxon had predicted every move that the Cybrans had made thus far.

Even now, the Cybran was probably running away, unable to face a pair of SCUs for the simple reason that each was equipped with an Omni field that was strong enough to pierce their cloaking technology. The abomination would run right into Marxon's arms and be cleansed from the surface of Luthien once and for all. Scores of air units suddenly flew out of the base and towards the Avatar-of-War while escorting a group of transports – one of which was most likely carrying the cloaked ACU.

"Five leftover loyalists on our right, I'll take care of them," said Lani. Pao nodded and kept heading towards her original destination while her sister moved to intercept the enemy units. Only a few seconds passed before Lani cried again: "He's here!"

Pao's SCU stopped in its tracks and turned around, seeing the cloaked Cybran through her sister's Omni field. On one hand, she was momentarily disappointed that the Cybran had not tried to actually win, but then again, she did not expect any better from a machine: "Keep out of range of its overcharge shot. With your regeneration upgrade he can't even…"

A laser suddenly shot out of the Cybran's chest and hit Lani's SCU head on. Unlike a pulse laser, the beam was continuous and kept melting past layers of protective armor and completely overloaded the SCU's regeneration upgrade. Pao gasped as warning signals flared: "Lani!"

The attack barely lasted a few seconds before the SCU went critical and exploded in a brilliant flash. Even then, the laser did not stop and melted through one harbinger after another. Pao brought her laser to bear and fired repeatedly: "Curse you!"

The ACU was hit multiple times and ornamental spikes vaporized under the onslaught, but it did not fall. The laser twisted and focused on Pao even as the Illuminate pilot fired continuously: "Die, die, die!"

Each hit tore another piece of the Cybran ACU, but her own armor was melting at an incredible pace. Sensors shorted out, screens exploded and her controls were blinking erratically. In the span of a second, the air in the cockpit increased by eighty degrees and was no longer breathable. Pao closed her eyes and barely managed to croak a single thing before he command unit exploded: "I'm coming Lani…"

**XXXXX**

Half of his controls were shorted out, bolts of electricity danced along one conduit, the air was filled with toxic fumes and yet Redfog was still alive. The war machine appeared to hold together through the sheer will of its pilot and yet the assassin took no joy over the destruction of the two SCUs. In fact, he barely seemed to notice them as he headed up the mountain in a straight line towards the storm. The ACU climbed, its cloaking system shorted out and plumes of smoke following in its wake.

"You've always thrown everything that you could at me!" shouted Redfog even as a huge boulder rolled down the hill towards the ACU. It was shot out of the way by the ACU's chest laser as Redfog plowed forward: "Well I can take it and now I can give it back!" The storm increased and blocks of ice that were twenty centimeters in diameter fell from the sky and pummel the ACU. Instead of shrinking away from the brutal beating, the ACU moved forward and appeared to welcome it: "Go on, strike me! Give me everything you got!"

The ACU raised its mangled arms to the sky when the storm refused to comply and the pilot roared in protest. Redfog would not be denied.

**XXXXX**

Marxon airdropped a dozen engineers around the prison facility and queued the capture of the building as well as the construction of walls around it. He then focused on the area where the Cybran ACU had disappeared and cursed that the storm interfered with his sensors. Not one to give up easily, he took control of his artilleries, made a rough calculation and aimed at the top of the mountain.

Six artilleries fired simultaneously and the resulting explosion started a large avalanche. Barely a few seconds later, his sensors managed to pick up a sizable explosion from within the storm that carried the same signature as the Cybran ACU. Exhausted, Marxon sank into his chair and allowed himself to acknowledge Lani and Pao's death: "It is over."

**XXXXX**

They were still alive. That was the first thought that crossed Toth's mind as she reached out in the darkness. There had been a large rumbling followed by a crashing sound and now all the lights were out. The most likely possibility was that an avalanche had buried them and if that was the case then it was a miracle that the structure had withstood it. She could hear whimpering all around her from her students.

"Everyone listen to my voice and come towards me," said Toth as reassuringly as she could: "I want everyone to concentrate on being as calm as possible and to answer when I call on your name."

Toth's voice managed to calm the students and each answered in turn as their name was called out. A few students reported injuries, but none of them were serious. When everyone was together again, Toth began chanting a prayer which recounted the tale of the Seraphim. She knew that doing so consumed their now limited supply of oxygen, but it was a better alternative than allowing her students to panic.

The prayer lasted a good fifteen minutes before a distant humming sound reached them. A light appeared a few minutes later as a wall was disassembled by a mechanical engineer and a cool breeze flew in the room. Marxon's voice was transmitted soon afterwards: "The storm is still raging, but the battle is over. A shuttle will land once the storm clears and will transport you to the Blue Star gate nexus."

**XXXXX**

Six hours later, Toth stood before Marxon in the quarters that had been assigned to her: "You have my gratitude for saving me and my students Marxon. Your efforts may have very well saved the Aeon Illuminate this day."

There was no pleasure in the Avatar-of-War's eyes nor did he even acknowledge the praise. Toth resisted the urge to frown and raised an eyebrow instead: "Is something troubling you?"

"Pao and Lani are dead," said Marxon flatly, his gaze making it clear that he was laying the blame squarely on her shoulders: "A commander is even now scouring the mountainside with the hope of finding their remains."

Although his face was impassive, Toth could sense the fury behind the stoic expression that he was wearing. Marxon would not open up to her now despite the privacy of her quarters. She reached out for him regardless: "For all that it is worth, I am deeply sorry, Marxon."

The Avatar-of-War snarled at her and moved towards the window: "Your condolences would be better sent to their families. They at least might be fooled into overlooking the political maneuvers that cost the lives of the two finest SCU pilots under my command."

"I did not intend for this battle to take place and especially not for them to die," observed Toth, suddenly on the defensive. Marxon whirled on her then, his gaze uncompromising: "You undertook a dangerous assignment without a proper escort in the exact same way that you did when you selected Princess Miranda Burke years ago."

"You hoped that the selection of a new Princess would galvanize the spiritual wing even as a new Avatar was selected," added Marxon without giving the Evaluator a chance to explain herself: "Only this time, the Cybrans noticed your little ploy and exploited that weakness. Don't bother denying it; your mistakes are compounded in Aeon lives."

"And I would rather risk lives than condemn all hearts and souls," countered Toth, grieving for the loss, but unwilling to surrender to the practical aspects of war. Marxon glared at her, but she would not back down. Each had his own view of the war and the recent tragedy would not be an opportunity to settle their differences.

"I'm due in the control center," said Marxon suddenly before turning away: "The nacelle assigned for you and your students will depart from the gate nexus in three hours."

With that, the Avatar-of-War left Toth's chambers without ever looking back.

**XXXXX**

Rhianne watched the sunset from the comfort of her room. Even now, the last rays danced on the horizon and were mirrored on the snowy surface that covered all of Luthien. Her wounds had been properly treated and biological bandages covered her arm and leg. The wounds would be gone in a matter of days and the medics had assured her that no scar would be left behind. The wounds ran deeper, however, as the Cybran had cut into her very heart and soul. She was the only one that could heal those wounds.

A computer terminal lit up as soon as Rhianne approached it and she sat in the chair: "Search, Evaluator database, Zenthar Rition."

The computer processed the request and a profile appeared shortly after. Even though the picture had been taken years ago, there was no mistaking the intense and uncompromising look in the man's eyes. She browsed through the record, noting the brief but turbulent medical history as well as the different evaluations as the man was converted from a UEF citizen into an Aeon apprentice.

The man that would later become known as Redfog had an IQ evaluated at roughly one hundred and sixty and his records clearly showed it. To Rhianne's surprise, there were no signs of violence in that file which puzzled her somewhat until she read the comments written by the Evaluator that had been supervising him. Corline Bout had noted several facts that hinted at a severe case of mental instability that was hidden behind a mask of carefully constructed lies and deceits. For all of her efforts, however, she could not find a tangible reason to stop the acceptance of the new convert.

Puzzled, Rhianne closed the file and issued a new command: "Quantum hail, Evaluator Corline Bout."

Several minutes passed before the computer processed the request and a link was established with Seraphim Two. The face of a woman in her seventies appeared on the screen and by all appearances, the war had weighted heavily on her: "This is Evaluator Bout. How may I be of service?"

"My name is Rhianne Burke and I would have a favor to ask," said Rhianne slowly. She considered her request carefully before speaking: "Please tell me about Zenthar Rition."

The Evaluator's eyes widened momentarily at the name and she then looked away from her monitor: "Deep down, I always knew that the name would come back to haunt me one day. He was still alive?"

Rhianne nodded slowly: "How did you know?"

Corline smiled sadly: "When they told me that he was dead in a Cybran attack years ago, I urged them to keep looking for the body. Even when they discovered his severed arm in a wreckage and assured me that the rest had most likely burned beyond recognition, I still insisted that they confirm it. I knew that if one person could have survived the attack then it would be him."

Corline looked at Rhianne for a moment before adding: "You are wondering why I accepted him into the Aeon Illuminate if I knew what he was?"

Rhianne nodded and the Evaluator continued: "Those that fight usually have a reason: The Way, their loved ones, their lands… having converted so many UEF citizens, I had become familiar with all of these motivations. It is those powerful feelings that can give a human his will to fight beyond what he would normally be capable of and yet it was not so for him. His strength of will was beyond all others and yet it was driven only by his need to survive… and exist. I had never in all my life seen such a tortured soul and in those days, I truly believed that he deserved a semblance of peace."

"If it will make you feel any better, his soul is at peace now," said Rhianne, aware that she had most likely reopened old wounds: "He is one with The Way."

A wave of relief washed over Corline's feature and she lowered her head: "Thank you… has his body been found?"

"No, but his ACU exploded," said Rhianne without giving it much thought.

Corline's shoulder stiffened and she looked up: "Have you seen it explode with your own eyes?"

Rhianne was about to say that the explosion had been confirmed, but then again, there had been a terrible storm which could have obstructed their sensors. Corline saw the doubts in her face and smiled sadly: "Then maybe you should not give him up for dead so quickly. I know I would not."

A mechanical shriek from somewhere within the settlement startled Rhianne and she looked out the window. The lights from each residential block shut down one after the other and Rhianne was soon plunged into darkness.

**XXXXX**

"What happened?" asked the coordinator as he stepped into the control room: "Why are our energy readings going through the roof?"

One of the assistants from the gate nexus checked his console and grabbed the coordinator's attention: "A virus has somehow infiltrated our systems and our capacitors are draining far more energy than usual."

"Any chance that they will overload?" asked the coordinator, suddenly concerned. The assistant shook his head and brought up a schematic of the facility: "Although this facility is designed to ferry personnel, it is still equipped with capacitors designed for ACU transport. Overloading those is nearly impossible, but I am more worried about this."

The coordinator looked at the screen and gasped: "The secondary systems are offline in the residential sector? Get me the Avatar-of-War now!"

A few minutes passed before the screen lit up and Marxon appeared on the screen: "Yes?"

"Sir, we lost control of the gate capacitors and they are siphoning all the energy from the residential district," warned the coordinator quickly: "The backup systems are offline which means that the security systems in those buildings are not working."

Marxon closed the channel, issued commands to every security detail and ordered the nearby commanders on patrol to send out spy planes. His transmitter hummed again, indicating an incoming audio transmission and he picked it up: "Yes?"

"I heard you're still looking for me?" came the unmistakable Cybran voice. Marxon froze as he recognized the Cybran pilot. He motioned for one of the technicians to track down the signal as the abomination continued: "I made a mistake in our last battle. It is time for me to rectify that mistake…"

A technician brought up a schematic of the facility and a cursor appeared in the residential area where Toth and her students' quarters were located.

**XXXXX**

The room was completely dark aside from the few emergency lights that had their own power supplies. The link with Evaluator Bout was gone, but that did not alarm Rhianne. She had faced her death before and came out stronger for it. The logical part of her mind combined with her own fears warned her that this might be an assassination attempt and yet she did not move.

Rhianne suddenly heard footsteps behind the door and closed her eyes as an explosive charge blew it open. The shock stunned her momentarily and she did not have the time to recover before a pair of hands grabbed her and pushed her to the ground. Although she could not see, Rhianne was certain that the one holding her down was not Redfog and it was later confirmed when she heard his voice: "We have secured Rhianne Burke, but there are no signs of the intruder. We are awaiting further orders."

**XXXXX**

The news puzzled Marxon as he had been sure that the abomination had intended to kill Toth and her students. The response team had acted quickly, but surely the Cybran would not have tipped his hand without first making sure that he could succeed. Another report came from team gamma which was moving through the maintenance shafts above the crew quarters: "Sir, we found a transmitter of unknown origin here, but no sign of the intruder."

So it had been a decoy, but if he was not there then what was his real target?

**XXXXX**

"How are the capacitors holding up?" asked the coordinator. He watched as one of his assistants forwarded the data on his screen: "They are holding, sir, but there is so much stored power that they could probably send a pod anywhere in the galaxy."

At that precise moment, a figure crashed through the ceiling and landed in a crouched position at the other end of the room: "I would hope so."

The coordinator's eyes widened as he saw the figure throw something his way and he felt a burning pain in his abdomen. He looked down and saw the blade that had just impaled him to his console.

**XXXXX**

Time slowed as Redfog sprang into action, moving with inhuman speed towards his objective. Small finger sized blades sprung from hidden compartments in the wrist portion of his artificial arms and he threw those in the blink of an eye. Each blade buried themselves in the throat of a technician which left only three more targets to go.

The one true danger was from the assistant on the other end of the room who was reaching for his blaster and so the assassin angled his sprint towards him. On the way over, he hit a technician with a precise blow to the temple which sent him sprawling to the ground and jumped over a console. The assistant finally had the weapon out and aimed at Redfog's head just as the assassin came within arm's reach. He pressed the trigger, but nothing happened.

Redfog smiled under his mask and deliberately looked down at the weapon long enough for the assistant to notice what was wrong. The assassin had managed to slip a finger under the trigger and prevent the shot from being fired. Redfog resumed his attack when the realization finally registered on the assistant's face, breaking his wrist, twisting him sideways and snapping his neck in less than a heartbeat.

"Now it's just you and me," said Redfog as he turned towards the coordinator. The altercation had barely lasted six seconds and the coordinator looked from the blade buried in his belly to the Cybran. Redfog fetched a retinal scanner from his belt and moved it towards the coordinators face. The assassin growled when his prey closed his eyes reflexively and brought his right hand up. Small claw-like nails sprung from each finger and went to work, cutting away the eyelid in a flash and revealing the right eye for the scanner to do its work. The man screamed, but Redfog ignored it, feeling no remorse whatsoever.

When the scan was over, Redfog took a hold of his blade and was about to pull it when he heard a groan behind him. Looking back, he saw that he had miscalculated one of his blows and that the technician who had been hit in the temple was still alive.

"Please have mercy," said the coordinator between gasps. The plea brought Redfog's attention back to him and the assassin brought his face within a few inches of the dying man: "Oh not tonight coordinator… not tonight."

In one swift move Redfog pulled the blade out and decapitated the coordinator. He then moved towards the groaning technician.

**XXXXX**

They moved slowly and their reports took too long to transmit. Marxon found himself wishing for his ACU and a handful of land scouts instead of all those guards running around. The command center had been sealed off as a precautionary step. It was normally impossible for anyone to force his way into one, but this particular Cybran seemed to be uncannily resourceful. Marxon kept thinking about what the Cybran was truly after. If Rhianne was the decoy and if the Avatar was inaccessible then what could be left?

"Sir, we have an unscheduled nacelle transport sequence underway," said one of the technicians under his command: "Time until departure is estimated at two minutes."

Marxon whirled around: "Hail the gate nexus control center."

The technician tried to open a channel, but shook his head: "No response. Accessing the visual security feed from the room…"

An image immediately appeared and more than one person in the room gasped when they saw the bodies. Marxon ignored the horror on the screen: "Why was the attack not detected by our internal sensors?"

The technician shook his head: "The internal sensors are configured to detect weapon's fire and explosions."

Marxon grimaced before opening a channel to the gate nexus launch bay.

**XXXXX**

Alarms rang through the nacelle launch bay and Redfog knew that he was out of time. They had finally figured out his true objective and he was out of options. The assassin stood up from his hiding spot and ran towards the nacelle as quickly as he could. All around him, civilians, workers and technicians stopped what they were doing and looked at him in shock. Some quickly reached for their weapons and started shooting.

The assassin focused only on speed and evasion instead of firing back. He jumped, rolled or cart wheeled as necessary to avoid incoming shots, but he could not keep it up forever. A guard aimed at him and the assassin knew in the split second before the guard pressed the trigger that he could not avoid the shot. Redfog brought left arm in front of his face in the nick of time and the energy bolt caught it fully. The impact shattered the forearm, sending pieces everywhere with one cutting a deep gash along Redfog's brow.

Another bolt caught him in the right shoulder and he stumbled, but still managed to roll forward and avoid crashing down. A third bolt caught him in the back of the leg just as he got up and fused part of its circuitry. Redfog fell flat on his face, avoiding a few shots in the process and watched as the emergency blast doors started closing in front of him.

**XXXXX**

The guard stopped firing when the Cybran collapsed and Marxon pushed the technician aside before shouting through the open communication's link: "Keep firing! Do not allow him to…"

The Cybran moved before he could finish the sentence, catapulting himself forward with uncanny strength using only one arm and a leg. Two more energy bolts hit him just as the emergency blast doors closed, crushing a leg and trapping him in the process.

"Override the blast doors and finish him off!" barked Marxon as he turned towards the nearby technician. The man shrunk away, but shook his head: "The blast doors were an automated response from the blaster fire. If a single shot is fired within the nacelle launch pad as the energy disk lowers then it would be enough to destroy the entire facility."

Marxon looked at the screen and saw the Cybran lie very still while a pool of blood mixed with oil slowly formed around his body: "And if he does not reach the nacelle in time?"

"Without the nacelle's protective shielding, he will be disintegrated when the disk lowers," Answered the technician, hoping that his answer would satisfy the Avatar-of-War. Marxon was about to nod when the Cybran moved.

**XXXXX**

Pain.

It had been the only constant in Redfog's life and the only true companion that had stood by him. The assassin knew that he was dying and that some form of relief would be waiting for him on the other side even if it was simply oblivion. It would be so easy to give up and finally bring everything to an end, but part of him refused.

A cough wracked Redfog's body and he spat blood through his mask which had been partially shattered by an energy bolt. Only one of his arms was functional and he reached forward blindly. He growled when he could not find a hold and claw like nails sprung from his fingers. His claws then punctured the floor and he pulled himself forward. Sparks of electricity coursed through his body as he tore himself away from his crushed leg and dragged himself towards the nacelle.

An energy disk appeared above him and slowly dropped down, but he ignored it. Instead, he focused on his rage, using it as a source of motivation and as he kept dragging himself forward. Each movement was agony, but also confirmed that he was still alive and he drew strength from that fact. The assassin finally reached the nacelle and pulled himself upwards to reach the controls. Darkness threatened to engulf him, but he fought on, too stubborn to simply lie down and die.

Redfog finally managed to get up on his remaining leg and press the button to seal the hatch. He then looked up and saw what appeared to be an Aeon commander staring at him from the computer screen. The assassin smiled, blood oozing down his mouth and through his broken mask: "So, you're the Avatar…"

The commander did not answer which only widened Redfog's grin: "Hear me… I'll be there in the end."

The assassin struggled for his next breath and stood straighter: "When the battle is at a close, when Earth finally burns then know that I'll be there… and I'll be waiting for you."

With that, the energy disk reached the nacelle and it was transported off Luthien.

**Epilogue **

"We are gathered here today to say our goodbyes to Mather," said Doctor Brakcman somberly. Everyone stood silently within the research facility with a small metallic box between them. In it were pictures and mementos from all of those present: Dostya, Bagby, Ell, Keith, Sjet, Queren and a few others that Dostya did not know. It was a private ceremony and Doctor Brackman was the one overseeing it.

"He was a good boy; strong, patient and most of all caring for those near him," said the Doctor, his voice resonating through the room: "Every time that he was involved in something, I knew that he would do everything in his power to save those that he fought alongside with. I'll miss him terribly and I'll always think of him as one of the best examples of what a human should be."

Brackman looked to Ell who could no longer hold back her tears: "He was my best friend."

Bagby placed a hand on her shoulder and took a step forward: "I liked him as if he was my own boy."

The old SCU pilot then nodded Keith who looked at his two squad mates before adding: "We loved him like a brother."

Everyone turned to Dostya who made every effort not to choke on her emotions. In any other culture, having people claim that they loved someone as if he was part of their family might have seemed weird, but it was only proper in one where the majority were rescued slaves. Dostya finally found her voice and spoke: "I loved him…"

The ceremony continued through the evening.

**XXXXX**

Urzu One stepped fearfully in the chamber and looked at its lone occupant. Redfog sat in a chair with his head bowed down. His wounds had been tended and most repairs had been completed on his artificial legs. Only his left arm needed to be replaced and that would take a few more days.

"We're completing your new ACU and it should be operational within the week," reported the Assassin carefully, afraid that he would disturb his master. His gaze lit up as he added: "Some said that we were crazy to wait for you at the emergency drop point, but I knew that nothing could stop you."

Redfog did not move nor give any indication that he had heard him. Eager to please his master, Urzu One stepped forward: "When you're healed, we'll take our revenge on Dostya and her kind. No one crosses the Assumpta and gets away with it."

"I did not give that command…" said Redfog, barely above a whisper. Urzu One had to step closer to hear it: "But surely you'd want her punished for…"

Redfog's right hand shot out in the blink of an eye, caught Urzu One by the throat and dragged him within an inch of his face: "Are you questioning me?"

"N… No, master!" croaked the assassin, barely able to breathe. Redfog lifted Urzu One with a single arm even as he spoke: "Then stop trying to guess what I want and make yourself useful."

Redfog threw the other Cybran across the room and watched as he scampered out of his chambers. He then lowered his head and allowed himself to become lost in his own thoughts.

**XXXXX**

Marxon shifted through the report and absorbed it carefully while reconstructing the scene in his head. The wreckage from Pao and Lani's SCUs had been recovered. What the search team had not expected to find had been the Cybran's ACU: damaged beyond repair, but still capable of remotely controlling units.

The weapon had self-destructed not long after it had been discovered, but its presence combined with the local scans did explain how the Cybran had survived. Apparently, he had expected and planned for the avalanche, digging a cave with the use of its chest laser and then ejecting the experimental weapon's power source to fake his own death. How he had managed to reach and infiltrate the Blue Star gate nexus was still a mystery, but it was obvious that they would need to tighten their security measures.

A shifting noise caught Marxon's attention and he turned around to see Ariel standing behind him. Her hand had been treated and was even now immobilized in a fiber plastic cast. The Avatar had a good idea of what was on her mind and placed the report down: "Is something troubling you?"

"I… I am sorry," said the girl as he gaze fell to the ground: "If I had been stronger, wiser or faster then I might have overcome the Cybran and the Pao and Lani would still be alive."

Marxon was touched by the declaration. He stood up and placed a comforting hand on his young protégé's shoulder: "You used all of your abilities, knowledge, determination and most importantly, you acted when others were paralyzed by fear. I would never fault you for that and your actions made me very proud."

Ariel looked up at him with watery eyes and Marxon nodded in encouragement. A guard knocked before entering the room and bowed: "My apologies, it is time, Avatar."

Marxon squeezed Ariel's shoulder for good measures and then left. They made their way through the maze of corridors and soon reached the council chamber. There Marxon took his place on the central pedestal and waited for everyone to quiet down before speaking.

"The time for half measures is over," said Marxon, his voice ringing clearly through the council room. The Avatar-of-War let his words sink in before speaking again: "For a thousand years, we have held back while hoping that humanity would awaken and embrace The Way. Billions of lives have been lost due to our inaction. It is time for a change."

"We have waged war on the UEF and they have held us back for a simple reason," said Marxon, his voice rising as he did so: "Numbers. Their soldiers and pilots are replaced at the same rate that we kill them despite our numerous victories due in large part to the high population of the core worlds. Each time that we capture a planet, we lose many of our own trying to keep it and convert its population. The process is time consuming and our enemies have used such a precious commodity against us."

The Avatar-of-War gazed across the room as he added: "The UEF has used that time to create weapons that – while not as elegant as our own – have a destructive potential that cannot be underestimated. What is worse, the Cybrans have benefited the most, increasing their numbers while avoiding direct conflicts and benefiting from our continued stalemate with the UEF. The situation is so dire that even now, Cybrans make sneak attacks in our territory while the UEF unleashes new experimental weapons. This must stop."

Marxon looked at all of those gathered and held their attention: "We will evacuate Luthien before the end of the month and start a new global strategy. From this point onward, we will conquer a world, cleanse it and leave. No longer will we try to convert its entire population through a process that takes decades. We will continue until the UEF population count drops so dramatically that they are no longer able to defend their perimeter."

A few quiet whispers rang through the chamber, but Marxon's voice commanded attention: "We will continue until every man, woman and child realize that they should join The Way before we are upon them. We will become a force that cannot be avoided, bought or dissuaded. Only when the UEF forces are stretched thin will we make our attack on Earth and put a stop to the Infinite War once and for all."

Rhianne looked down from the balcony and felt a surge of sorrow flow through her. Now she understood why it had been so important to select the next Princess of the Aeon Illuminate and how ugly the war would become. The conflict on Luthien had weakened the spiritual wing and even now forced their silence. They watched helplessly as the Avatar-of-War planned the rise of the Aeon; one that would be without mercy or compassion.

**XXXXX**

"Hey buddy, how are you feeling?" came the concerned voice. Desjar opened his eyes weakly and saw Arnold standing at the edge of his bed. Looking at his surroundings, the SCU pilot could tell that he was in a hospital room: "Feels like a truck rolled over me. You actually look worried… how bad is it?"

"Let's not talk about it for now," said Arnold with a concerned look on his face: "Just focus on getting better, ok?"

Desjar felt his heart skip a beat: "How bad? Come on, tell me!"

Arnold hesitated for a while longer before answering: "The doctor… the doctor said it's the spine. The shock coupled with a broken life support system messed something up in your brain and you're paralyzed from the waist down. He mentioned other symptoms too and stuff…"

Desjar felt despair take a hold of him and he looked down at his legs. Arnold tried to cheer him up: "But one of the hostages that we rescued is in charge of a center specialized for that and assured me that he'd take care of you. Everything that you need from nurses to personally adapted diapers like these will be available."

Arnold tapped a box of diapers that was on a table near Desjar feet and the SCU pilot could barely believe his eyes: "Diapers? What do you think that I would care for some blasted diapers at a time like this!"

Desjar punched his leg for good measure and cried out in pain. Realizing that he had felt the blow, his eyes suddenly lit up and he looked at Arnold: "I felt that… and I can move my toes! Fetch the nurse, fetch the doctor, fetch anyone, but I felt that! They screwed up and I can feel my legs!"

"Calm down buddy," said Arnold with a concerned nod: "It's probably just a leftover impression."

A nurse passed in the corridor and Desjar waved frantically at her: "Nurse! Nurse! I can feel my legs! Get a doctor in here quickly!"

She stepped into the room and looked at him with a smile: "Of course you can feel your legs. All you had was a moderate concussion, some bruises and a few cuts. And…"

The nurse suddenly noticed the box of diapers that Arnold was leaning on and frowned: "Do you know how long I've been looking for that? I had to check a dozen shipments, shout at my supervisor and look like a complete moron! Don't you ever dare take a box of diapers without permission again!"

The nurse took the box and stormed out of the room with Arnold grinning all the way. Desjar looked from the door to Arnold repeatedly and finally started realizing what had just happened: "You psychotic son of a…"

"Well I guess that I might have read the wrong profile purely by accident," said Arnold with a lazy shrug: "I'll show myself out now."

Arnold ran out of the room and barely avoided a lamp that flew right past him. He could not resist peaking in again with a wide grin stamped on his face: "I told you I'd get you back one day!"

**XXXXX**

"I am so glad to finally meet you, Miss Tural," said Riley, his voice reflecting the perfect amount of concern which had been practiced time and again: "I'd first like to extend my deepest apologies for the situation that you were caught in and if there is anything that I can do to make amends then you have but to ask. Would you like something to drink?"

Hina shook her head briskly: "No thank you, Commander Riley."

"I'll keep this interview as brief as possible," said the Lieutenant General with a sympathetic smile: "According to the other residents of New Hampshire, you were taken away and escorted to see the Cybran commander. We usually try to create a psychological profile of our enemies in order to better anticipate their next move and save UEF lives. Is there anything that you can tell us about her? Did she express any doubts, hesitation or compassion?"

Hina hesitated a moment longer before speaking: "They called her Dostya and her men were cruel, remorseless, sadistic and all around thugs. They were just like the videos that are show on the quantum network. I can't imagine a commander being any different from the men under him or her."

Regret briefly appeared in Riley's eyes, but he masked it soon afterwards: "I see. This will help us a lot in creating her profile. Thank you."

Hina nodded and was about to leave when Riley held up a hand: "If I may, we actually wanted to give a present Timmy when we headed to New Hampshire. If he wants, we could show him a real ACU and perhaps even have him ride in one if you think it would please him."

"Forgive me, sir," said Hina with a wince: "But both of us have seen enough of war for the time being."

Riley nodded and smiled: "I understand."

When Hina was gone, Riley brought up a data pad and placed a few comments in it. He noted that if the pilot still had some family on Earth that it would be unwise to try and use it against her. Back in the corridor, Hina felt a measure of relief at having fulfilled her promise to Doctor Brackman.

**XXXXX**

The ceremony was over and Dostya, Bagby and Keith all sat around a table back at the Hot Plasma bar. An uncomfortable silence had followed them since they had left Brackman's laboratory and it had lasted up until now. Bagby finally fetched a bottle from his bag and placed it on the table: "I don't know what to do with this."

Keith looked at the bottle of Vodka and back at the SCU pilot and raised an eyebrow. Bagby's eyed the bottle in sorrow and added: "When I scavenged the bottle on Matar, it was with the idea that we would drink it once we won. We got the laser technology, but I'm not sure that I'd call it a victory."

They hesitated a moment longer, but it was Dostya who reacted first, picking up the bottle and drawing a knife from her belt. She started carving something on it and it was only when it was finished that she placed it back on the table: "First one that reaches Earth gets it."

They looked at the bottle and back to Dostya who appeared very serious: "This war started from Earth, it will end there. The first commander that reaches it and brings this war to an end should remember all of those that fell to make that day possible."

Bagby looked disappointed for a split second, but then looked at the bottle and nodded in approval: "Aye."

Keith nodded as well and took a hold of Dostya's hand to comfort her. Two words were carved on the bottle of Vodka: for Mather.


	3. Book 3: Echoes of the Seraphim

**Echoes of the Seraphim**

Created by Philippe Painchaud (Dotswarlock)

Based upon the game "Supreme Commander"

**Chapter 1 **

**Ominous predictions **

Year 3828, sixteen years before the final battle on Earth,

The light from the fire danced eerily in her unblinking eyes. The older woman moved her hand gracefully towards a pile of bones and the small bells that hung from her sleeve rang with each movement. She hesitated over the pile, closing her eyes for an instant as if sensing the mystical emanations. She finally picked a large bone, delicately placed it in the brazier and watches as the flames licked its surface.

"There… the cracks in the bone will soon reveal part of your destiny," said the old woman reverently. A large facture suddenly appeared and her eyes widened in disbelief: "Oh my! This is interesting…"

The man in front of her did not react and so she kept studying the bone: "The signs are clear! You will be faced with many conflicts, one which will take place all the way in the core worlds. Your very convictions will be challenged and put to the test, but I cannot tell whether you will stand true. And this…"

The woman hesitated a moment longer before spreading her arms wide. Somehow at that precise moment a bolt of lightning struck in the distance and thunder soon roared through the small tent: "You will be involved in a great battle, one that will end the Infinite War! Your choices will determine the fate of all humanity, but it will end in the birth of a dark sun!"

A yawn interrupted the woman and she looked down at the man who was making no attempts to hide it: "You doubt fate?"

Arnold scratched the back of his head and shrugged: "Well so far you haven't told me anything that I don't already know. I'm an ACU pilot so of course I get involved in great battles, have to put up with Aeon fanatical crap and risk blowing up like a 'sun'. Can't you tell me something new?"

The seer appeared flustered and pointed a gnarled finger at him: "Your closest friend will soon meet with an untimely demise!"

Arnold laughed and got up on his feet: "Yeah? And yesterday when he asked for his future you told him he'd live to be an old man and have lots of babies. That's two strikes in a row so what's next? Are you going to tell me about my love life?"

"You die miserable and alone now get out!" shouted the seer while pointing a finger towards the door. Arnold left the tent, but could not resist the urge to peek back inside and add: "I already told you that I'm an ACU pilot so of course that will happen. Stop stating the obvious, jeez!"

Arnold then looked around and spotted Desjar at another booth not too far away. As he made his way towards him, Arnold noticed that he was holding a few plastic rings and was concentrating on throwing them towards rows of empty glass bottles: "This mandatory R and R on the core worlds is a real pain sometimes. If someone has to spew prophetic nonsense at me then it might as well be an Aeon. At least they are pretty and I can punch their lights out in the end without laying down a single credit… you know that the game is rigged right?"

"Hey, all I need to do is hit one target out of three shots!" said Desjar optimistically while taking careful aim: "You know, you should really stop complaining since the techs are doing some much needed maintenance on your ACU. So what did the fortune teller say?"

Desjar threw a ring, but missed. Arnold leaned back on the counter while looking away from the game: "Oh you know: I'll be in a great battle, decide the fate of humanity, I don't get the girl and I die in a big ball of fire."

Desjar threw his second ring and cursed softly as it danced on a bottle but fell to the side: "Basic story of your life I'd say. Sorry that you won't get laid ever again pal."

Arnold snorted, but his gaze was suddenly drawn to a pleasant figure in uniform at another booth roughly thirty meters away. A string of curses indicated that Desjar had failed on his third throw which made Arnold smile. He looked behind him and spotted a large blue teddy bear before jumping on the counter, snatching it and jumping back down.

"Hey, give that back!" said the booth manager. Arnold slapped the man's hand away and placed a two hundred credit chip on the table: "This will cover it."

The man shook his head vigorously and made a grab for the bear again, but Arnold stopped him with a glare: "Do you really want to argue with a guy who sits on a nuclear bomb all day long? Think hard before answering especially since your witch back there promised that I would blow up real soon."

The man hesitated a second longer before grumbling and taking the two hundred credits. Arnold nodded approvingly: "Smart move and now to take care of business."

Desjar looked from the bear to Arnold and finally to the woman that he was heading for: "What are you doing?"

"I'm challenging fate, old buddy," answered Arnold over his shoulder. He straightened his shirt and made his way through the crowd and towards his intended conquest. The booth was a large one with the multiple stations all with a fixed crossbows. The objective was apparently to hit the target ten meters away, but a quick look showed that the crossbow themselves had a few deliberate design flaws.

"Hey there," greeted Arnold while leaning against the counter with the teddy bear in hand: "Are you by any chance looking for a new pet because if that's the case then I have a homeless one here that happens to be searching for an owner."

The woman did not even bother looking at him, but instead kept focusing on her crossbow: "I'd rather earn one myself."

"Yeah well there's a good way and a bad way of getting screwed and this crossbow looks like the latter," said Arnold, trying to keep his tone light instead of sarcastic. Satisfied that she had apparently found the flaw, the officer leaned down and took aim: "Only losers avoid problematic situations and look for the quick way to screw someone."

Arnold frowned at the insult and dropped all attempts at seduction: "Well better that than being an elitist snob who could not relax if her life depended on it."

The officer fired even as Arnold finished his sentence and although both crossbow and bolt were flawed, the projectile still hit the target in the center. The man in charge of the booth immediately cheered and made a huge show of how it could be done before handing her a teddy bear that was even larger than Arnold's.

The woman did turn towards him then and for the first time he noticed the scar on her left eye as well her rank. She took the bear and handed it to a small girl that Arnold had failed to notice: "Here you go."

The officer then looked back at Arnold and glared at him for a while before finally saying: "I'll see you at tomorrow's briefing."

She left without another word and Arnold stood speechless until Desjar ran to his side: "Are you crazy? That was Colonel Samantha Clarke!"

Arnold looked at his partner with obvious puzzlement and Desjar finally exploded: "Samantha Clarke! The daughter of Stephen Clarke, hero of the battle of Nova Prime! Do you even know what that means?"

"Yeah… it's a goodbye to my career," said Arnold with a curse. He then looked at his blue teddy bear and frowned: "This is your fault."

**XXXXX**

"There are too many of them out there!" whispered the aid as he gazed outside the tent: "If one of those officers catches wind of what we're doing then it's either jail for life or a firing squad!"

Robert Tourig placed a hand on his aid's shoulder to calm him down: "Relax, this is a fun fair! Everyone knows that they get screwed when they play here, but the objective is to allow them to have fun while doing it. With so many things going on even a bunch of ACU pilots won't be able to tell where the real deals are happening."

"Which is what we should be discussing right now," came the sudden interruption behind them. The mechanical voice startled the two men and they whirled around only to see the red outline of the Cybran's facial circuitry. Robert had to take a steadying breath to calm himself and then smiled: "A pleasure to see you again, Hex-Five."

"I'm sure it is," answered Hex-Five, his voice both charismatic and yet businesslike: "But a greater pleasure it will be when we all go our separate ways. Do you have the list?"

Robert nodded, fetched a data pad from his pocket and handed it to the Cybran: "Everything that you asked for: fifty terabytes of literature, art, local news from different sectors and of course the naughtiest bits from the net that you can imagine. What can we expect in return?"

Hex-Five brought out a data pad of his own and gave it to Robert: "UEF network security flaws, account numbers, officer's personal data and of course two tons of psychoactive drugs and today's special: hyperactive stimulants for dogs. The last one is nearly untraceable and should allow you to turn the tide in more than one dog fight."

Robert grasped the data pad with obvious glee and imagined the huge profits that were coming his way: "Agreed!"

"The exchange will take place as per our usual arrangement," said Hex-Five even as Robert studied the data pad. The Cybran gave him a few seconds before adding: "Come with the goods and no surprises… we'll be watching you."

Roberts looked up, but Hex-Five was gone.

**XXXXX**

"This is getting too risky," said Hajax a few hours later. Hex-Five moved past the nervous Cybran, grabbed a bottle of forty year old wine and poured himself a glass: "You worry too much. The profits that we'll make from this run will probably ensure that we have every conceivable luxury for the next three years. Soon, we'll have enough information to plant sleeper agents in the middle of the UEF and we won't even have to smuggle goods anymore."

Hex-Five smiled triumphantly, but noticed that the other Cybran was not sharing his optimism. The smuggler leaned forward then and nudged him in the ribs: "When we're back home, the girls that will entertain your bed will help you relax."

"I won't argue against the profits," answered Hajax, the promise of physical pleasures barely helping him to relax as he added: "But we've angered just about every other node out there. If we're ever in trouble then no one – not even Brackman – would risk life and limb to come to our rescue and we have few experienced pilots. Heck, how many years has it been since you've fought yourself?"

Hex-Five frowned, disliking it when someone reminded him of his limited war experience. As much as he hated to admit it, however, Hajax had a valid point and maybe having a few favors to call on would be worth it even if it meant diminishing their profits.

"Did you hack anything interesting while I was securing our next haul?" asked Hex-Five, his mind searching for new possibilities. Hajax nodded and handed him a data pad: "Only the list of personnel and mission assignments… not that the other nodes won't detect the incoming ACUs long before they can do any damage."

Hex-Five scanned through the list, but stopped at a name, his gaze narrowing: "Zachary Arnold… why is that name familiar?"

Hex-Five activated a nearby console and keyed through the interface: "It seems that the Assumpta node has made discrete inquiries concerning him and General Allen Riley. No doubt they want to kill him and we might earn a few favors if we help out."

Hajax paled almost instantly and took a step backwards: "The Assumpta? The last time that we were there, they held a blade to your throat!"

"But they did not slice it now did they?" observed Hex-Five with a smirk: "Besides, whatever ill feelings that they have towards us might be mitigated by their new leader. According to what I've heard, no one has seen Redfog in person for the past year which suggests that maybe someone else is holding the title. The old one probably died on his last mission to Luthien. New leaders make new opportunities which we would be foolish not to take advantage of."

**XXXXX**

"Just look at them, buzzing around like a pack of angry bees," observed the UEF pilot with a snort: "Our defenses are impenetrable and they know it! Those renegade gunships are nothing to worry about."

Major Nutrit directed his engineers to add even more anti air defenses and watched his two SCU pilots as they worked on the Mavor.

"We're still bottled up sir," observed one of the SCU pilots while wiping some nervous sweat from his brow: "It's one thing to keep them out but it's another that we can't move."

The Major waved the notion away with the back of his hand and stretched lazily: "Our base is well shielded with multiple point defense, anti-air and artillery turrets. If that's not enough to satisfy you then think of our navy that's just waiting off the shore and ready to support us."

"Sir, I think I spotted something under water," warned the second SCU pilot. Nutrit looked at his radar, but frowned: "I don't see anything…"

"But it was there, sir, I swear!" objected the other pilot: "I don't know what it was, but it looked massive… there!"

The Major's eyes widened as a signal appeared underwater not too far away from their base. The signal suddenly intensified, appearing on all frequencies and the ACU pilot snorted: "It's an obvious decoy. Going from a stealth mode to something that is the equivalent of fully lighted Christmas tree has to be a ploy. Maybe they finally built something that is the equivalent of an underwater deceiver."

"I don't know sir; it looks pretty big for a Christmas tree," said one of the SCU pilots. Nutrit smiled, determined to show what a real commander was made of. One of the SCU pilots suddenly jumped in his seat: "I just lost communications with Tac Ops! I'm reinitializing the transmission buffer."

Nutrit was about to ask what had caused it when a huge spidery leg erupted from the sea and plunged in the sandy beach. His mouth opened wide as a huge insect-like robot soon appeared with its weapons blazing. Nutrit would not let fear paralyze him, however, and immediately jumped over his controls: "Open fire!"

Shots from multiple Titans and point defense turrets immediately converged on the Cybran experimental weapon and while they did some damage, the super weapon ignored it. A screeching sound pierced the air as the dorsal laser powered up and the major could do nothing except watch as it pierced the nearby shields like a hot knife through butter and tore straight through the power generators. The following series of explosions tore half of his base apart, but when the dust cleared, the abomination was still standing.

"Try to distract it boys!" shouted Nutrit as he set a course: "I'll sneak up behind it and see if I can place a good overcharged shot in its back!"

Screams caught Nutrit's attention and he turned around only to see thirty renegades bombard the SCU pilots. The major let go of the controls knowing fully well that he was defeated. The ACU stood motionless as the Monkeylord converged on it with its heavy microwave laser firing.

The following nuclear explosion was clearly visible from Dostya's vantage point and she nodded slowly before opening a channel: "UEF advanced team destroyed. Proceeding with the evacuation of Three-Rivers."

**XXXXX**

"No more Cybrans, no more Cybrans!" cried the crowd. The chant rang through the street and Arnold had to push the protestors out of his way. All around him were dozens of boards with a variety of slogans: 'death to Cybrans', 'symbionts are as evil as Cybrans', 'get our jobs back' and more. Not too far away, a Cybran dummy was lit on fire and waved around to the cheers of the entire crowd.

Arnold cursed under his breath and started pushing harder. Those that noticed his uniform spat insults at him and he had to resist the urge to bust a few heads on the way over. He finally reached the UEF military academy and saw Desjar waving at him. Together they made their way inside and looked at the crowd.

"What the hell is up with these clowns?" grumbled Arnold while straightening his uniform: "If I had been in my ACU, I would have been tempted to step on a few of them."

Desjar pointed towards the crowd: "Rumor has it that a lot of our symbionts have been recalled back to Earth. Jessy told me that its part of a major upgrade of how we'll work with tac ops."

"Jessy? That girl from accounting?" asked Arnold, a vague figure popping into his mind: "I thought the two of you broke up eight months ago."

Desjar shrugged and they both started walking towards the conference chamber: "We did, but after the fortune teller's predictions I thought I'd give it a second shot and it seems that she missed me the whole time. Yesterday we were even talking about marriage."

"You're crazy you know that?" said Arnold. Desjar chuckled and turned an amused look towards his assigned Commander: "Or so says the man who tried giving a teddy bear to Samantha Clarke to prove the prophecy wrong."

Arnold was about to offer a retort in the form of a punch in the shoulder, but they had reached the conference chamber and they were already late. They took seats in the back just as General Markdifis started.

"Good morning gentlemen and welcome back to the core worlds," greeted the General. He looked at the crowd of pilots for a few seconds before continuing: "I hope that you had a pleasant stay and collected lots of souvenirs because you'll be heading back to the front soon enough."

Arnold followed the General's gaze around the room and noticed that there were roughly sixty pilots. When they had gathered together four years ago, they had been eighty of them.

"First of, I'm sure that you all noticed the protestors outside, so I might as well fill you in on it," said the General, a frown escaping him in the process: "We've reassigned over sixty percent of our symbiont tactical assets back to Earth. Starting today, every ACU that comes in for a maintenance check will be connected to our new intelligence's division called Earthcom. Soon, we will all be linked to the same division instead of multiple ones which will accelerate the transfer of information on a galactic scale."

Desjar poked Arnold in the rib with his elbow and quietly added: "I told you that Jessy was right."

"Yeah, worth marrying for the inside information alone," whispered Arnold back. He could not help but add: "Heck, if you don't then I will."

The General cleared his throat and they quieted. Markdifis then went on, detailing the situation in each sector in the best possible light. Having witnessed such speeches for years, Arnold could sum it up in a single sentence: things were bad and no one wanted to admit it. It always annoyed Arnold that the other pilots – most of which were several years younger than him – seemed to eat it up.

The meeting went on with no real new information and they finally reached the stage where they would be reassigned to new sectors. The General went through twenty other pilots before looking at them: "Desjar, you'll be staying on Matar for the time being. Stelphen you'll be…"

Arnold jerked awake and lifted a hand: "Err... sir? You skipped me. I'm the ACU pilot, not Desjar."

The General looked down at his data pad and then back up: "Sorry for not specifying it, but Commander Desjar will be reassigned to pilot an ACU once more. We're in a sore need of good pilots and we can't afford the luxury of having experienced ones controlling SCUs anymore. I want you to report to General Riley's office once this meeting is over, Commander Arnold. He has a specific task in mind for you that he wanted to discuss in private."

Desjar placed a hand on Arnold's shoulder and whispered: "Easy, easy. No point exploding here in public."

Arnold bit off a few colorful curses: "That fortune teller messed up big time because it feels like I'm about to get screwed like there's no tomorrow."

**XXXXX**

The door opened and Hex-Five looked around the room anxiously before entering. There were no lights except for the red diffused illumination that was generated from the multiple consoles that lined the walls. In the center of the room with his back turned to Hex-Five was none other than Redfog.

"Thank you for receiving me," said Hex-Five as diplomatically as he could. Things had gone badly enough the last time that he had visited the Assumpta Node and this time, he was determined to make a good first impression: "It is an honor to be here today and I hope that we will find new opportunities which may put you in an even stronger position then your predecessor. If you would but…"

Redfog raised a hand to stop him: "What do you want?"

Hex-Five fell silent for a moment, stunned by the voice that sounded exactly like the previous owner of the famed title. Maybe that was also part of the myth? A voice synthesizer in the mask to give the wearer an aura of immortality? Hex-Five placed those thoughts aside and focused on being as cooperative as possible: "Zachary Arnold, we know where he will be heading. If vengeance is what you seek then we can make it happen."

"Where?" asked Redfog simply. For a moment, the smuggler hesitated, unused to giving anything without first discussing a proper fee. The last time that he had dealt with someone of the Assumpta node, however, he had made the mistake of holding back too long and it had nearly cost him his life. Maybe the assassins were more receptive to straight offers: "Alpha Seven. A search and rescue mission, apparently."

Redfog lifted both hands and the computer screens responded automatically, zooming in on the sector and displaying what information was available. The assassin stood silently for a few minutes before finally nodding: "That seems plausible."

Relief flooded through Hex-Five and he allowed himself to smile: "Good! It was a pleasure to be of assistance and we hope that this will be the foundation of even more cooperation in the near future."

Hex-Five turned to leave, but the same cold voice stopped him before he could take a step: "I did not give you permission to leave. Your task is not yet complete."

Hex-Five felt his heart beating wildly, but he still managed to keep a measure of calm: "How may I be of further assistance?"

Redfog stepped closer to him and a data pad suddenly appeared alongside his face: "You have a piece of the puzzle and I have the other. You will bring them both to Ivanna Dostya and assist her in any way possible until her task is complete."

"Look, I don't mean any disrespect," said Hex-Five slowly, making sure to measure each word before speaking it: "But I'm not exactly on the best of terms with Node Fifty-Six nor with that particular pilot and I think I did my fair share by bringing you this information."

A chuckle ran through the room: "You're not exactly on good terms with me either now are you?"

"What do you…" said Hex-Five as he turned around and his eyes widened. Standing within arm's length was not the successor, but the same Redfog that had held a blade to his throat three years ago: "This can't be… you should be dead…"

"You would be surprised at how many made the mistake of assuming that I was," answered the assassin. A fiendish smile appeared under his mask as he added: "But now that you know otherwise I cannot allow you to simply weasel out of this deal."

The smile beneath the mask vanished and the assassin's eyes seemed to pierce Hex-Five as surely as any plasma blade: "You will comply…"

**XXXXX**

"The stealth system failed again," came the unexpected interruption. Doctor Rougain had been busily downloading his files into a data pad when the voice startled him. He turned around and saw Dostya waiting by the open door with her arms crossed: "It nearly cost us the battle. If the UEF knew about the Monkeylord then their ACU could have waited for it at the beach and welcomed it before it could use the heavy microwave laser. We got lucky today."

"I know, I know," said the Doctor, the guilt plainly obvious in his face: "But we're cramming as much as we can in the design and at one point or another we'll have to make choices. A heavy microwave laser, two heavy electron bolters, two nanite missile systems, a meson torpedo launcher, a stealth system and even a regenerative upgrade… we might have overdid it when we reached out for the sonar stealth system as well. Reverse engineering that Aeon technology proved to be a bigger challenge than we expected and it remains an experimental weapon after all."

Dostya was about to tell the Doctor to do what he could when she noticed something on one of the data pads that the he was holding. She snatched it before he could object and frowned: "What's this? Local news from Sweden and poetry written in Swedish?"

"I… I just wanted a taste of home that's all," said the Doctor, shrinking away instinctively. Dostya's eyes widened when she understood what was left unsaid: "The Seven Hand Node? How much did it cost you, Rougain?"

"Only four days of work, no more!" objected Rougain, desperate to make it sound as though it had been a good deal: "They just wanted a list of security holes in the UEF network large enough to smuggle some cargo. It's nothing serious or that the UEF can't figure out on its own."

Dostya held the data pad before him: "These four days might be responsible for the problems we had with the Monkeylord's stealth system and could have killed thousands of Cybrans. The data that they'll transmit – even if it's not meant for the UEF military – might still cause irreparable damage in the long term. Keep that in mind before making any more deals."

Yellow warning lights suddenly flared on the walls, indicating that it was time to leave. The two of them made their way out and watched as the research laboratory went through its pre transport phase. Protective covers fell over each window and laboratory modules started moving and drawing themselves towards the center of the structure. Soon, the entire building had diminished in size by half and a specialized air transport hovered over it and took hold. Engines screeched under the weight, but the structure was soon lifted off the ground and carried away.

For the second time this month, the entire node of Three-Rivers would be moved to a new location. Even now, mechanized engineers controlled by another ACU pilot went to work, recycling the foundation and erasing all traces of their presence. Looking around her, Dostya saw the same look of resignation on the faces of every man, woman and child. They would move and they would adapt as they had done for the past thousand years. Their faces would brighten once things returned to normal, but Dostya only wished that such a thing would apply to her as well.

**XXXXX**

There was a loud knock on the door and Riley looked at it: "Come in."

The door opened automatically and Arnold stormed into the room like a hurricane: "Why the hell did you break me up with my SCU pilot? The two of us have been a team for years and you just don't split a team on a whim or without talking to them about it first!"

If General Riley was upset, he did not show it and instead motioned towards the other officer sitting in the room: "Let me first introduce to you Colonel Samantha Clarke…"

Arnold whirled on her immediately: "If this concerns what happened yesterday then you're an even more stuck up snob than I ever imagined."

"Yesterday?" echoed Riley while raising an eyebrow. The General turned towards the other pilot: "Is there something that I'm not aware of, Colonel Clarke?"

Arnold turned a surprised look on Riley just as Clarke answered: "A plain misunderstanding, General, and nothing more; one which is not relevant to the current situation."

"I see," said Riley. The General turned towards and motioned towards a nearby seat: "Sit down, Commander, and let me explain. My decision to split your team was based on a matter of utmost urgency and not on a whim. A crisis is on our hands which involves Alpha seven. You remember that place, don't you?"

Arnold's eyes widened at the name and he finally sat down. Alpha seven… now there was a place that brought back ugly memories.

**Chapter 2 **

**Drums of war **

"Why the hell would you want me there, Riley?" asked Arnold, his voice dropping even as his gaze grew inward: "I went to Alpha Seven once and it was more than enough for me."

Riley leaned back in his imposing chair and brought his hands in front of him: "Two reasons: of all the ACU pilots that went to Alpha Seven you are the most experienced and most decorated."

Arnold recognized the smokescreen for what it was. Military decorations had lost some of their value over the years, being given more in the spirit of increasing morale for the rest of the troops than actually rewarding the pilot: "And the second reason?"

"Of all the pilots that went to Alpha Seven, you are the last one still alive," answered the General with a helpless shrug.

The notion seemed to shock Arnold who nearly jumped in his chair: "Brisley, Harrigan, Menphris and Thedford?"

The General pressed a button and the screen behind him lit up with the profiles of each pilot: "Brisley died in a Cybran raid two months later. Those that were with him claimed that he was paralyzed with fear at the time and could no longer control his ACU. Harrigan disappeared three months after that and his body was discovered frozen in the wilderness by civilians. Menphris finished his days in a mental institute and Thedford ate his own gun roughly three months ago."

"All of those are not exactly very good incentives for me to go back," grumbled Arnold. Clarke raised an eyebrow, apparently curious as to how the deaths could possibly be related, but Arnold ignored her and focused his full attention on Riley: "What's over there anyway? From what I understand, the planet has no strategic value and no side has attempted to claim it."

Riley pressed a button and brought up the display of the galactic map: "Markov Two was attacked by the Aeon yesterday. As you no doubt know by now, they changed their tactics and routinely attack and 'cleanse' entire planets. The Commander in charge tried to evacuate as many civilians as possible. Here was his last transmission."

The face of a pilot appeared on screen and it was obvious from the background noise that he was in the middle of a battle: "… Too strong! I'm holding on for now, but there are just too many of them and we have begun evacuating the colony. I already sent six hundred through the gate and I hope that I'll hold another ten minutes and send two hundred more."

An explosion in the background forced a curse out of the pilot and typed a new set of commands on his console even as he kept speaking: "Those bastards attacked while the sun blocked the use of the gate leading back to the core worlds. I have no other choice but to send them to Alpha Seven and hope that they can hide there long enough to be rescued. Get them back home, tac ops! Don't let me fall here for nothing!"

The transmission ended and Riley sighed: "He managed to hold for the next thirty minutes and the greater part of the colony was evacuated. Eight hundred colonists including one hundred and fifty symbiont scientists need to be rescued as soon as possible. An analysis of the quantum network suggests that this last transmission was intercepted by both Aeon and Cybrans so we don't have much time. This is a quick get in and get out operation with no SCU support. A solar flare from Alpha Seven's sun is currently preventing any quantum gate transport for the next two hours, but once that delay is up then I expect both Cybran and Aeon forces to intervene."

"I volunteered for the assignment," said Clarke, drawing Arnold's attention back to her. There was no mistaking the hard determination in her eyes as she kept speaking: "I asked for the most experienced backup for the mission and your name came up. We need you, Commander Arnold, but I'm going with or without you."

Arnold hesitated for a while before rubbing his forehead and nodding: "All right I'm in… but the two of us need to talk before leaving."

**XXXXX**

"You failed," came the voice on Reue's screen. The blunt statement held no sign of empathy or compassion. Reue stood motionless in her ACU with her eyes cast down, unwilling to meet the gaze of the Avatar-of-War: "The settlement was destroyed as was the UEF pilot that was guarding it. No casualties were suffered on our end and the planet is nearly cleansed."

"Your mission was to cleanse the settlement which included its population," corrected Marxon, unwilling to let this slip by: "Your battle lasted ninety minutes which was more than enough time for them to evacuate. I watched the battle and you deliberately held back when you could have won in half the time."

Reue did not argue the point nor could she deny it. Killing civilians accidentally was one thing, but deliberately leveling a settlement was another. Many other commanders now saw the strategic value behind such moves and had accepted it. She had not.

"Fortunately, you will get the opportunity to rectify that mistake," added the Avatar-of-War.

Reue looked up in surprise, the unexpected statement making her forget about protocol: "What?"

"The gates were in the wrong alignment and as such they were unable to transport into UEF territory," explained Marxon. Although his voice betrayed no emotion, his gaze made it clear that Reue's surprise had not gone unnoticed: "The settlement's population is now on Alpha Seven and that will be your next destination. You will gate in, destroy anyone that attempts a rescue and then rectify your mistake. Only then will you be allowed to return home."

Reue felt a pang of guilt, but could not refuse the Avatar's order: "Understood."

"Have faith," said Marxon, his gaze staring straight into Reue: "Should you complete your mission successfully then I will forgive your transgression and you will be welcomed back into our ranks with open arms. You will be publicly recognized for your courage and bravery on the battlefield."

The transmission ended and Reue sighed audibly: "Courage and bravery?"

The ACU pilot looked at the ruins of the settlement surrounding her: "Is that what we are calling this?"

**XXXXX**

Ensign Bime walked through the refuges while keeping his hands under his armpits to warm them. He could not help but note the many faces that were cast down. They had just lost their home and had been forced to evacuate to a forsaken planet with their only hope being that the UEF would get to them before either Aeon or Cybrans did. The cold weather coupled with the unnatural lack of wind did not make things any easier either.

The junior officer walked to the edge of the camp and towards the form that was prone with a pair of binoculars in hand: "I just made a check and although a lot of people are still in shock, most of them have recovered enough of their wits and are doing constructive things."

Bime took a data pad from his pocket and gazed at it even as he finished his report: "All fourteen ground transports are fully operational as are the two scout buggies. We have enough fuel and energy to last a while and water won't be a problem since there's a thin layer of snow that covers just about everything. Food is a concern, however, and I expect our stocks won't hold for more than a week."

Major Karl lowered his binoculars and nodded: "Start rationing our food stocks and put the symbionts on quarter rations."

Bime winced: "The professor said…"

"The professor will get a taste of my boot if he objects to it," interrupted the Major harshly: "I don't care how valuable they are; I'll feed a child over a walking database any day. Now get everyone packed up and ready to move, I think the solar flare will be over in a matter of hours. I want everyone to drive three kilometers into the quantum field and I'll stay here with a buggy as a scout. If I spot a UEF ACU then I'll signal our presence and arrange an evacuation."

Bime paled visibly: "Sir, they are all afraid of the quantum field. Frankly, it makes me a bit nervous as well."

They both looked back at the unnatural fog that hung motionless not too far away. Bime gulped and added: "A lot of the refugees have heard disturbing stories about Alpha Seven."

The ensign then turned to his commanding officer and nodded: "That and they need you, sir. You've been keeping us together since Markov Two."

"I'm also the most experienced officer here," added the Major with a wince. It was clear that he did not like the prospect of staying behind, but he had already made up his mind: "I'm the one that's most likely to recognize the sound that a UEF unit makes over the one that would come from our enemies. Don't worry, I'll be careful and I'll do everything that I can to get us home. Now go tell the others and stand with your shoulders straight. They'll be counting on you now. Don't let them down."

Bime saluted and quickly ran off.

**XXXXX**

Dostya hesitated at the entrance of the bar, wondering as rain fell all around her if she had done the right thing by coming to the Red Skull Node. Part of her just wanted to be back in her room, curl in a ball and sleep a dreamless sleep. The past few months had been especially harsh with each night seeming to last an eternity spent dreaming of those that she had lost in the war and the many more that would join them. Of those losses, Mather was the most prominent one and she could not bring herself to forget about him.

A cheer from inside the bar grabbed her attention and she wondered again why Bagby had called her here. The cheers grew louder and Dostya soon realized that they were moving towards the door. She barely had the time to dodge to the side as they burst open and a form was thrown through and straight into a puddle of mud: "That's the machine complex, boy. Deal with it!"

Bagby rubbed his hands on his pants and finally noticed Dostya: "D, you came! I was beginning to wonder if you had received my message. Come in, come in!"

Dostya resisted the urge to help the downed boy, realizing that Bagby was probably training another potential pilot out of his machine complex. Once the door closed, however, she pointed a thumb backwards and asked: "It might be my imagination, but does that boy look like a younger version of Doctor Brackman to you?"

"Bah!" said Bagby while waving the notion away: "After a thousand years, someone was bound to get that unlucky. Come now, it's time to cheer you up!"

Dostya frowned as she sat at Bagby's table in the back and looked at the old SCU pilot: "I thought you said this was an emergency. I'm tired and I don't have time for this."

"You need to take the time D," said Bagby while looking at her seriously. He took a deep breath before adding: "You've been down ever since what happened a year ago. A bottle of Minerva's swamp might put you under the table, but depression will kill you out there."

Bagby poured her a glass, but she looked at it doubtfully: "Keith put you up to this, didn't he?"

"I don't need anyone's permission to get me or anyone else drunk, doll," boasted Bagby, drawing a few chuckles from those in hearing range. His voice dropped as he added: "But he is worried about you. Frankly, we all are."

Dostya wanted to lash out for a split second and tell the old SCU pilot to mind his own business, but she could not find the strength to do so. No one could do anything to bring Mather back…

"Is this seat taken?" came the sudden interruption. Bagby looked up for a second and scowled: "It's a private party, beat it."

A genuine bottle of tequila was placed on the table and Dostya looked at the man who had just brought it: "Would this earn me an invitation?"

Bagby's eyes lit up at the sight. The only times where Cybrans had access to Earth drinks was when they managed to steal some in a raid. The SCU pilot ran a hand on his unshaven face and nodded: "Fine, you can stay as long as the bottle is not empty."

The old pilot then quickly poured himself a glass while the stranger sat and flashed a beaming smile towards Dostya: "I actually have something else that you might be interested in; something that only became available recently. But first presentations are in order, I'm Hex-Five."

Bagby looked to Dostya who was already scolding: "Of the Seven Hand Node?"

"That's right," said the other Cybran, skillfully ignoring the venomous glance that Dostya was throwing back at him: "I see that my reputation has already preceded me as I bring good fortunes to all! And what's more, what I bring is totally free of charge, a bargain for sure! All that we ask is that you remember such a favor in the advent where we would need one in the future."

Hex-Five shortened his speech as soon as he noticed Dostya clenching her hand: "We offer you Commander Zachary Arnold. We know where he's going and we know that he'll be vulnerable… quite a deal, wouldn't you say?"

"I don't do vendettas," said Dostya while looking away. She had heard the lack of convictions in her own voice and judging by the way that he was smiling, so had Hex-Five: "Ah but there's a bonus! One hundred and fifty symbionts are in the balance! Enough to justify the operation to anyone, including Doctor Brackman…"

Dostya hesitated, the burning need for revenge conflicting with the memories of Mather, a man who would have frowned at anything that might put the Cybran Nation at risk. Sensing that victory was almost at hand, Hex-Five tried sweetening the deal a little more: "Still not enough? Then how about this… We can smuggle a message back to Earth. Maybe a word to your family telling them what really happened to you. Imagine how happy they would be if they knew the truth."

Hex-Five felt satisfaction as Dostya's eyes widened, but a hand came into view and grabbed the bottle of tequila from him: "I'd better hold on to that."

The smuggler turned a puzzled look towards Bagby and was about to ask what he meant when Dostya sprang into action. She kicked the chair from under his feet while twisted his arm as he was falling with one hand and grabbing hold of his hair with the other. The move ended with her slamming his face on the table with enough force to make a few other patrons wince.

"Who put you up to this?" shouted Dostya furiously. She twisted Hex-Five's arm, nearly breaking it in the process. The smuggler was still reeling from the shock and was frantically scrambling to find a good excuse: "I don't know what…"

Dostya lifted the smuggler's head and slammed it in the table once more, driving the point home. Meanwhile, Bagby poured himself a glass of tequila while smiling: "Saw that one coming."

"You've compromised our security, network, resources and our very lives by engaging in your smuggling operations," growled Dostya. She shook the smuggler, drawing a yelp as she added: "And now you expect me to believe that you're just giving it all away for free? I swear that if you insult me again by denying it then I'll break your arm! So, who put you up to this?"

Hex-Five looked at everyone in the room and desperately cried out: "Won't anyone do something?"

"Oh heck no," said Bagby as he emptied his glass and poured himself a second: "Everyone here knows what happened the last time that she got angry. Besides, seeing her with so much energy is making us really happy."

Half the room cheered in approval, to Hex-Five's dismay. He would find no allies here.

"Last chance," warned Dostya as she increased the pressure on his twisted arm. The smuggler finally gave in: "All right, all right! It's the Assumpta Node."

The pressure lessened for a moment as Dostya grew confused: "What?"

"They were looking for Arnold and I offered him to them on a silver platter in order to earn a few favors," spat Hex-Five back, pain twisting his features: "But they sent me to you. I don't know why, but they were dead set on giving you the opportunity first."

Dostya squeezed the smuggler's arm once more: "If you're lying…"

"I swear I'm not," squealed Hex-Five. His pride resurfaced as he added: "Although if I had known how crazy you all were then I would have kept the information for myself instead!"

Dostya hesitated a few moments before finally letting go of Hex-Five: "Well congratulations, I'll be going after Arnold and get those symbionts back."

Hex-Five half smiled and half winced while rubbing his elbow: "A pleasure doing business with you."

Dostya ignored the obvious lie while raising a finger to stop him: "Oh we're not done yet. As a special onetime non-negotiable or avoidable offer, you get a free ACU training session from me. We're departing immediately."

"What?" asked Hex-Five, his eyes widening wide in horror. Dostya grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him forward: "You're coming with me. Nothing like a little ACU training to get in shape and that way, you won't have to trade for 'favors' again. That and if you lied at any point then you'll get a firsthand experience as to how angry I can really get."

Bagby raised his glass in a toast as Dostya left the bar with the protesting smuggler in her grip: "My god it's good to see some fire in her again!"

The SCU pilot was about to drink when the door opened again with a muddy boy standing in the doorway. Bagby frowned and put the bottle down: "They never learn the first time that they get kicked out now do they?"

Just then, he noticed what his new 'student' was holding: "Oh hell no…"

Even though Dostya had just left, tonight's entertainment was apparently not over.

**XXXXX**

"Remove the noise filter on the secondary sensors and put them on manual," barked Arnold while pointing at a few components inside of his cockpit: "Also make a double check on that heating unit; I don't fancy freezing my toes off."

Samantha Clarke heard the gruff voice long before coming up on the ACU. Arnold was leaning over a technician and barking out orders at intervals, almost slapping him whenever he did a mistake.

"You wanted to talk, Commander Arnold?" asked Clarke loudly enough for the other to hear. The ACU pilot gave a few last instructions to the technician before turning towards her: "Yeah, but for the duration of the mission I'm Zach and you're Sam. And before you ask, it has nothing to do with what happened at the funfair yesterday. This is about keeping your sanity and staying in contact with each other and nothing else."

"I fail to see the connection, Commander," said Clarke with a frown, clearly reluctant to shift to a first name basis: "And I should not have to reminding you that I am in command of this mission. I'm sorry for the loss of your compatriots from your days on Alpha Seven, but those were nothing more than hard cases of posttraumatic stress disorder and gross negligence. I studied the files on Alpha Seven, including your own report, and I'm more than ready."

Clarke held the data pad for Arnold to see. He took it from her and pretended to read it for a few seconds: "Damn, I made a lot of spelling mistakes back then."

Without a word of warning, he dropped the data pad over the rail and it shattered five stories bellow. A string of curses from the techs that were checking the core readings came back, but Arnold ignored them: "Forget what you think that you know. No amount of reading will prepare you for what's coming."

"I fought Aeon and Cybran forces before, Commander," said Clarke, having already recovered from the theatric: "This battle won't be any different."

Arnold leaned on the rail and chuckled: "Yeah, I bet you did and I'm sure that you researched the landing site, got a nice plan for your base and even memorized all the mineral spots. It's not the one point six square kilometer landing site that's the problem; it's what around it."

"The quantum field, I know," said Clarke, having also committed that information to memory: "It covers a large part of the planet and disrupts communications, gates and even the control of our units. Sensors are limited to two kilometers and unit control at three kilometers away from its ACU. Any unit caught beyond that point risk defaulting to its self-destruct protocol and it basically leaves you the choice of sitting still with a base or moving around with units, but not both."

Arnold clapped his hands a few times: "Congratulations on reading the mission profile, but now for the part that is not made crystal clear in those reports: if the colonists decided to hide in that field – and they most likely did – then we have another problem which goes far beyond any technical glitch. Ever heard of EVP?"

"Electronic Voice Phenomenon?" asked Clarke, recognizing the acronym: "That's the field where speech and speech-like sounds occur in electronic devices, without any known source, correct?"

Arnold nodded, but raised a finger: "Yeah, but forget about that since our problem is the exact opposite: sounds and sights that we hear and see, but are not recorded by electronic devices. That's what we'll be facing if we enter that quantum field."

Samantha frowned and it was quite obvious that she was growing annoyed: "I understand that we started on the wrong foot back at the funfair, Commander Arnold, but please refrain from practical jokes. There was no mention of this in any report – yours included - and I don't believe in ghost stories."

Arnold slapped his forehead and then led Samantha towards a more secluded area: "Look, believe in god, logic, science and hell, believe in the Aeon's so called 'Way' if you want; I don't give a damn. But after a few hours in that quantum field you will start seeing and hearing things and when you do, you'll have to reach out to me just as I'll have to rely on you. It's not a game or a joke, Sam, and you'd better get it through your head if you want to make it out of there alive."

With that, Arnold turned around and went back to his ACU.

**XXXXX**

"Are you sure that you want to do this?" asked Doctor Brackman, making no attempt to hide his concern. Dostya ran through a series of self-diagnostics and was pleased to note that the ACU's engine was running at peak efficiency: "The data from the Seven Hand Node indicates that only one UEF ACU should be there and I fought that pilot before. Although Hex-Five is not a very experimented commander, he has his basics and I've fought alongside rookies before. With any luck, the Aeon won't interfere and this will be a two on one fight."

Doctor Brackman waited a moment before saying: "That is not what I asked. I do not question the military or tactical aspect of the mission, but rather whether you truly want to do it. You have the capacity and skill to win this fight, but is your heart in it?"

Dostya clenched her fist, unwilling to admit that a strong part of her wanted to go on that mission for revenge. She then looked up at her screen and nodded: "I'll win this battle and come back. I promise."

She terminated her transmission and looked to her instruments. Hex-Five's ACU was standing not too far away near his own portal and she opened a link to him: "Just focus on the building order that I transmitted to you and everything will be fine. I'll handle Arnold while you prepare to air strike to finish him off."

The smuggler nodded, but Dostya did not miss his scowl: "It's not like I have much of a choice now, do I?"

**XXXXX**

"Marxon is doing it again," said Evaluator Toth sadly. She looked at the deployment orders and saw that Commander Reue was queued for a mission to Alpha Seven. She was the twelfth pilot which had directly or indirectly disobeyed an order to cleanse a UEF settlement. Like the others, her punishment was to either rectify the mistake or die trying. Each outcome meant that one more pilot would be a step further from The Way.

Toth pressed a few buttons on her console and opened Reue's profile. Born thirty two years ago in UEF territory, Reue had been captured at the age of sixteen and converted to The Way two years later. She had then trained to become a knight and had completed her first mission not long afterwards with distinction. Her record showed a great deal of determination when it came to destroying her enemies, but it was also balanced by compassionate acts of mercy towards civilian targets. Unfortunately, compassion was no longer a trait tolerated under the new Avatar-of-War.

A push of a button closed the file and Toth sighed deeply: "Heavens help her… because no one else can."

**XXXXX**

The clock indicated that the ACUs would be teleported in four minutes. Doctor Brackman looked at the countdown and ran a hand along his holographic hair. It was a nervous gesture that he had never truly managed to get rid of even after a thousand years of fighting.

"Status QAI," asked the Doctor. The geometrical pulsing eye appeared on the main console and twirled at it answered: "All systems are green and the commanders will be sent shortly. Do you require a step by step analysis before launch?"

"No QAI, no," answered Brackman: "I'm just worried about the pilot, that's all."

A screen brought up the life signs from both Dostya and Hex-Five's ACU: "All life signs are within standard parameters. Your concerns are irrational."

Brackman half chuckled at that statement and shook his head: "No, no, that is not what I meant. I'm worried about Dostya. She yearns for this mission, but I can tell that she is doing it out of revenge. While it is a strong and powerful emotion, it is one that leaves you empty when it is fulfilled. Do you understand?"

"Negative," answered QAI without bothering to assign any resources to figure it out: "However, the launch can be aborted. Should I cancel it?"

Brackman shook his head: "No, you can't. No problem was ever solved by overprotective parents. Although it sometimes hard to do, if a child must learn to walk again then one should stand back and let him fall instead of carrying him along. Getting back up is an essential part of walking. All we can do is offer her the necessary encouragements and clear the road as much as possible."

An idea suddenly crossed Brackman's mind and he smiled: "Speaking of which, there might just be something that you could do to help her."

**XXXXX**

"Five, four, three, two, one…"

Samantha closed her eyes as a brilliant flash filled her cockpit and when she opened them again, she was no longer on the same planet. Her computer immediately opened a channel to Arnold and his face appeared on her side screen. He had a hand over his mouth and it was obvious by his complexion that he was desperately trying not to puke.

"Are you all right, Commander Arnold?" asked Samantha as objectively as she could. Arnold nodded after a few deep breaths: "Yeah… but my insides are so twisted that it feels like we've been knocked off course."

Samantha quickly queued up the construction of her initial economic structures, but frowned when she noticed that Arnold was nowhere near her position. She brought up a global map and her eyes widened in disbelief: "Apparently your guts were right, Commander. You've been knocked off course and we're ten kilometers apart. Transport logs indicate that your original site suddenly became unavailable due to a prior quantum disruption, but that should be nearly impossible."

"I'm no tech expert, Sam," complained Arnold while building his own base: "So what does that mean?"

Samantha frowned, getting more and more annoyed with Arnold calling her by her first name: "What it means, Commander, is that either you are the unluckiest pilot that I have ever known or someone hacked that gate network long enough to twist you away."

"I thought that was impossible?" asked Arnold, instantly recognize how grave the implications were. Samantha shrugged and sent her first few scouts towards the most likely enemy positions: "We've had a lot of unexplained disruptions in Cybran territory recently. Although the gate network was designed with stability in mind, it appears that they are growing more adept at using it to their own ends."

A signal suddenly appeared on Samantha's screen and she watched as a pair of Mantis destroyed the Mech Marine and scout that she had sent to investigate. Samantha keyed in the construction of more facilities and her eyes narrowed in determination: "They are here."

**XXXXX**

Karl heard the first distinct sounds of battle over the hill and desperately scanned with his binoculars. One sound was obviously the repeating blaster fire from a Mech Marine and the other sounded like a laser, which probably meant Cybrans. The careful course of action was probably to hide in the quantum field and come back a few hours later to see who would have won, but that would place the other refugees at risk if either side was suddenly reinforced while he was away.

Five minutes later, the laser blasts were mixed with more high pitch ones and the Major winced. He recognized the sound that Cybran rhinos made, but that did not mean that the battle was over: "Come on! Give us a lucky break so that we can go home…"

His senses were so focused on the far away battle that Karl did not notice the small periodic vibrations in the ground. A few moments later, a rock tumbled off the nearby hill and he looked up in surprise: "Damn it!"

The major dropped his binoculars and quickly ran towards the buggy. There was nothing in sight, but the man moved with all haste, turning on the engine as the vibrations grew more intense. The buggy made a speedy one hundred and eighty degrees turn and was about to accelerate when it was suddenly thrown in the air. To anyone looking, it seemed that the vehicle had somehow decided to do a graceful summersault before crashing on its back with both sets of wheels spinning.

Major Karl cursed, stars blocking his vision and blood running down the side of his face. He reached out for the door and tried to open it, but the collision had buckled the frame and it was stuck. The steady vibrations moved in closer, shaking the ground and making Karl tug desperately at the door.

They stopped when they were almost upon him and for a second, nothing happened. Karl was about to sigh in relief when something heavy suddenly pressed on top of the overturned vehicle, crushing it slowly. He tried kicking at the door repeatedly, but to no avail: "Oh god, help me!"

The pressure increased quickly and the vehicle was completely crushed. A short-circuit ignited a fire which quickly engulfed the engine and the buggy exploded a second later. The explosions disrupted the cloaking field of the ACU for a few seconds as lightning bolts danced along its surface. A set of four red eyes were visible for a short second, but soon vanished. The ACU resumed its course, leaving the destroyed vehicle behind without a second thought.

**Chapter 3 **

**Hard negotiations **

"This is taking too long; the Major should have been back by now," came the unexpected interruption. Ensign Bime turned around and saw Professor Dias walk towards him. The gaunt man moved with an air of superiority that either enthralled or annoyed those around him. It was almost as if he was still in his class or in his laboratory; a figure of wisdom amongst ignorant children.

"Don't worry, Professor," answered Bime while waving the notion away: "The Major is probably a little late, that's all."

Dias sat on a nearby rock and folded his hands in front of him: "There are only two distinct possibilities that would explain his delay despite the sound of battle that we currently hear. The first is that he is no longer following his original plan and the second is that something – most likely death - is preventing him. As more time passes, the latter becomes more and more probable."

The man smiled, his angular features becoming even more pronounced: "The only thing that you have to decide is how long you are willing to wait before taking action."

Bime frowned and squared his shoulders: "I know that."

"Of course you do," said Dias, his face an unreadable mask: "I just wanted to remind you so that you may note the passage of time. We would not want you to lose track of if after all."

With that, the professor bowed his head slightly and walked away. Bime hated being lectured, but he soon noticed that there was another problem: the professor had spoken loudly enough for many others to hear and over twenty set of eyes were looking at him expectantly. If he did not take a decision soon then someone would do it for him.

"Ok, I want everyone to get back in their transport and get ready for departure," said Bime suddenly, drawing everyone's attention back to him: "If the Major is not back in five minutes then we'll start moving along the perimeter of the quantum field for a few hours before sending the second buggy out. If the major is dead… then that should give us enough distance between us and his last coordinates to make the attempt."

Everyone nodded and went to work, spreading the news. Meanwhile Bime cursed his luck and hoped that Major Karl would make it back to them before it was too late.

**XXXXX**

A trio of rhino tanks moved out of the pass and sliced through the ranks of UEF units like a hot knife through butter. Although they did not have the best punch when compared to other units of the same class, rhinos had a high rate of fire specifically designed to take out weaker units quickly. Up to that point, Samantha had controlled the battlefield, preventing the Cybran commander from expanding or acquiring resources, but the rhinos were quickly turning the tide by destroying her units and aiming for her mass extractors afterwards.

'Anything that is destroyed can be rebuilt'. The now famous quote had belonged to her father and was even now written at the bottom of his statue back on Earth. Samantha repeated the words in her head as she plotted a course, leaving her base and trailing the three rhinos in order to rebuild the mass extractors that they were destroying.

This way the damage to her economy would be kept to a minimum and soon her factories would be producing tier 2 units of their own. The plan worked perfectly until a sizable force approached her base from the north. Samantha quickly sent scores of engineers to build turrets, but a Cybran ACU moved into range before the first one could be completed and fired an overloaded shot, destroying the structure and engineers in process. Rhinos quickly followed, tearing through units and structures before they could form a cohesive front. Samantha winced but did not despair, gathering the units that were close to her position and setting a course for the Cybran base.

"An eye for an eye," whispered the UEF pilot to herself as she prepared to inflict the same kind of damage against her opponent. Just then a garbled transmission reached her, overlapping her link with Arnold: "You are not Zachary Arnold."

The transmission cleared before Samantha could ask who was talking and Arnold's face appeared on her screen: "That hurts. Sam, plot a course towards my base and we'll work something up when you reach me. No point dying out there on your own."

"I'm not through here," said Samantha back angrily. Retreating was sometimes a sound tactical move, but she was not willing to give up just yet: "I'm sure that I can destroy the Cybran base with the units that I have left and then the fight should be even again. I just need…"

Arnold cut her off by forwarding her some tactical data: "I hate to burst your bubble, Sam, but I spotted more than one unfriendly ACU out there and my guess is that it won't be long before they come into play. You may knock that Cybran back to the Stone Age if you succeed, but if the two of you are still fighting with tier one units in the next five minutes then I'd be willing to bet that one of those unknown signals will overrun you."

Samantha hesitated a moment longer before Arnold slammed a fist near his screen: "Damn it, Sam. Swallow that pride and fall back! This is not time to be a hero!"

Samantha's face darkened considerably, but then she nodded: "I'm on my way. Over and out."

Back in his base, Arnold looked at his screen in confusion: "What the… looks like I hit a nerve…"

**XXXXX**

Dostya stood in the middle of the burning UEF base and watched as the rhinos went to work, destroying what few structures remained on its outer perimeter. The battle was won, but the UEF ACU had managed to escape and by the time that Dostya's economy would allow her to support a flight of gunships then it would be long gone. Worse yet, she knew that the pilot was not Zachary Arnold. She had fought with him and had come to recognize his blunt and direct approach well enough to not confuse it with the impressive display of fast and subtle movements that she had just encountered.

"Hex-Five, where is that air strike that I wanted?" barked Dostya angrily while zooming out her tactical screen: "You might still kill that ACU before it moves out of range."

There was no reply and Dostya muttered few colorful Russian curses when she noticed that the smuggler's base was nowhere near her position: "Hex-Five come in. Hex-Five!"

**XXXXX**

"I am no one's errand boy," muttered the smuggler in irritation. The words seemed to strengthen Hex-Five's resolve as he muted Dostya's signal.

No one outside the Seven Hand Node understood the cunning that it took to operate the only successful cross faction smuggling ring in the galaxy. It was a balance of intelligence, stealth, timing and subtle influence that few could even grasp. Hex-Five was no stranger to risk and he recognized that now was the time to take one or else he would be forever bullied by people like Dostya and Redfog.

He grudgingly respected their military prowess, but not their lack of vision. So they fought more often than he did… all it proved was that he was smarter in his choice of battles and defeated opponents through their own vices instead of with weapons. His skills at exploiting human weaknesses did not imply that he was clumsy in battle after all and he would prove it!

Not long after he had gated in, the smuggler had detected the presence of an Aeon force. It was then that he had concocted his master plan to earn himself a new position in the Cybran hierarchy. First he had built his base as usual before plotting a course towards the frozen river. His plan was a multi phased one and he would first hide underwater at the opposite end of the Aeon base, right under his opponent's nose.

Afterwards, he would build a stealth base far away, using his original one as a decoy while the expansion served as the center of his economy. He would then add a shipyard in another corner of the battlefield and stealthily build a fleet of Salem class destroyers. They would lead the attack, landing on the shore in secret with the help of a deceiver and bombarding the Aeon position while deploying their legs. They would push deep into the Aeon base and disrupt it long enough for him to upgrade his ACU with a cloaking device and a microwave laser. He would then finish off his opponent and stand victorious without anyone's help.

That was the theory and it worked well up to a certain point. He even added a galactic gate to his main base and was in the process of summoning Hajax when his stealth expansion was suddenly attacked by waves of Harbingers. He sent his renegade gunships in the hope of stopping the assault, but the Harbingers were escorted by mobile flak and they destroyed those soon enough. The few turrets that remained at the expansion were not enough to stop the Aeon units from tearing it to pieces.

"Hey, what's going on?" came the unexpected question. Hex-Five cleared his throat to buy some time and then looked at Hajax's face: "Nice timing. I just need you to hold the main base for a while until I finish upgrading my ACU."

Hajax looked at his tactical screen and his eyes widened: "There are twenty harbingers out there and I'm supposed to stop them? This SCU is not even upgraded yet!"

"All right, all right," conceded Hex-Five while ordering his engineers to upgrade his defenses instead: "Just go defend my naval base and I'll take care of the rest."

Hajax grunted in relief and plotted a course away from the harbingers that were approaching the main base from the north. Hex-Five was busily estimating when his microwave laser would be operational when Hajax's voice interrupted him: "Holy crap!"

Looking at his instruments, Hex-Five saw that an Aeon Czar was slowly flying towards his base and was on a course that would take it very close to Hajax. The other smuggler was already panicking: "Game over man, game over!"

Hex-Five tapped his fingers nervously but then quickly added: "Relax! You're in the middle of nowhere so if that Aeon pilot is even slightly distracted then you could reach the coast and hide underwater before she realizes that you're there."

Both Hex-Five and Hajax held their breath as the Czar passed near the SCU and they let it go when it kept flying towards the base. Hajax wiped some nervous sweat from his brow before speaking: "That was scary... so about that plan…"

The smuggler's words were interrupted as the Czar fired its quantum beam generator, barely missing the SCU in the process. The enormous ship slowed down and then changed course, heading back towards the SCU.

"Faster Hajax, faster!" shouted Hex-Five. The SCU pilot pushed his engines to their limit, but it still was not enough. The beam crept closer with each passing moment and the coast was too far away. Hex-Five stood frozen in place as it finally caught up to his second in command, the beam peeling off layers of paint until it was finally close enough to disintegrate one of the SCU's trailing legs. The command unit fell down and the beam focused on it quickly, melting it in less than two seconds and creating a small nuclear explosion. The enormous vessel paused for a moment and then reversed course once more, heading for the Cybran's main base.

A look at Hex-Five's tactical screen confirmed his worst fears; his base was surrounded, Hajax was dead and soon the last few remaining economic structures would be obliterated. In all battles there was a time to fight and a time to run. A smuggler always knew when it was the time for the latter.

**XXXXX**

Reue stood in the middle of her base, her newly upgraded personal shields humming softly in conjunction with the shield generator that stood next to her. The Cybran was defeated, but the pilot was still missing. The battle had lasted longer than expected in large part because of the distance that had initially separated them and finding him would take even longer. If the pilot had upgraded his ACU with a full array of cloaking technology then it could take forever before Reue could find him.

Now that the battle was over, she was confronted with the hard reality of her mission. Battling and killing ACU pilots was one thing that she never questioned. Cybran pilots were abominations that were more machine than man and UEF pilots were brave but deluded individuals, fighting without truly understanding what was at stake. Killing either was like removing a dark stain on the galaxy and opening a way for peace.

Civilians were another matter, however, as they were innocent if somewhat ignorant. With proper training and schooling then they could be shown The Way just like Reue had. They could be taught to let go of the mortal coils, lies and deceits that plagued their lives and embrace the true path to happiness. But of course that could only happen if they were spared and the policies of the Avatar-of-War would no longer allow that.

Something puzzled Reue and she quickly dispatched a series of spy planes. She looked at the screen intensively as they moved around and watched as the data appeared on her screen. One caught the sight of another Cybran base not too far away and it managed to reveal the presence of tier three units before being shot down. Another found a UEF base and even managed to locate a pair of ACUs before finally exploding. The third and final one was destroyed in the middle of nowhere and left no clue as to the identity of the aggressor.

"There are a lot of ACUs here for so few refugees," whispered Reue while rubbing her chin with a finger. Something was happening on Alpha Seven, something that the Aeon Illuminate and the Avatar-of-War were not aware of. Maybe if she managed to find and either stop or recover what the other two factions were after then Reue could return home with her honor intact and, most importantly, without completing her grim task.

The Aeon pilot looked at the distant area where the quantum field began and nodded in determination. The scans from the spy planes suggested that the refugees were not in this area and if they were hiding then surely they would be doing so in the quantum field.

She would follow her orders and pursue them… but she would actively scan for signs of what the other two factions were truly after.

With that in mind, Reue completed her upgrades, opting for an engineering suit and an advanced sensor array. She then collected her troops around her, including the Czar that had obliterated the Cybran base, and headed in. A few minutes later, her signal no longer managed to reach her base and it self-destructed.

**XXXXX**

"Is this whole planet dead?" whispered Kevin. Bime did not answer the other man's question and focused on the road ahead. The terrain in front of them was all the same: just an endless plain of snow with a thick layer of smog blocking their sight.

The endless spectacle had everyone depressed except for Professor Dias who was happy to answer the question: "Close, but not completely. The last geological team that was sent to Alpha Seven discovered patches of fungus growing under the snow. They are somehow linked to the planet's ecosystem and are a key element in maintaining the planet's atmosphere."

Bime rolled his eyes, but did not comment. He had invited the professor aboard the small buggy only to keep tabs on him, but Kevin – a farmer that had volunteered to come in the buggy - actually appeared eager to know more: "I never heard of a terraforming project involving mushrooms before. Is this something new?"

"Yes and no," said the Professor while nodding towards the terrain outside their window: "This planet was not terraformed you see; it already had a stable atmosphere. Its lack of strategic value and mineral resources is what explains the fact that no one colonized it. That and the original Alpha Seven incident of course."

Kevin was obviously alarmed by the prospect: "I heard that everyone got wiped out by a plague that was so violent that it consumed their very bodies."

"Unlikely," answered Professor Dias while waving away the urban myth: "The most probable explanation is…"

Exasperated, Bime looked back at his two passengers and assumed the most imposing look that he could muster: "We have ACUs fighting over us out there with each of them capable of destroying this whole convoy with the most basic of attacks. There's no point speculating and worrying about what happened a long time ago compared to the very real threat that they pose. We just need to…"

The steering wheel suddenly twisted in Bime's grasp and he lost control. The buggy spun four complete circles before finally coming to a stop. The professor brought a hand to his head and grimaced: "With all due respect, if you are so easily distracted then perhaps you should keep your mind on the road."

"I did not do anything," protested Bime in confusion while ignoring the insult. He replayed the incident in his mind twice before nodding: "We hit something…"

Without warning, Bime opened the door and stepped outside. The other transports had stopped not too far away and he was glad that none of them had lost control as he had. Bime traced back the buggy's tracks on foot and found the spot where he had lost control: "A block of ice?"

The buggy's other two passengers had stepped out of the vehicle even as Bime started frantically clearing the snow with his hands. Kevin scratched his head even as he looked: "I don't get it. Snow and ice… it's basically the same thing, right?"

Professor Dias walked besides Kevin and shook his head: "Ice does not form spontaneously under those conditions… and unless I'm mistaken then those look like tracks."

Bime cleared a huge section of the ice block and then stood up in shock: "Not just any set of tracks… a Fatboy. Nothing else leaves tracks that wide."

Kevin looked from the professor and then back to Dias a few times before adding: "I still don't get it. If the UEF gated in after us and if we're ahead of them then how could they possibly have a Fatboy out here? My history is a bit fuzzy, but the first time that I heard about the first Fatboy prototype on the news network was a long time after the Alpha Seven incident, right?"

"Correct," said Dias, having reached a similar conclusion: "Which leaves only one logical answer: there's someone else here."

The Professor looked to Bime who studied the tracks a while longer before adding: "It still looks fresh to me. If we find this ACU pilot then he could offer support, shelter, food and maybe even a way out. It's a risk worth taking."

Kevin cheered and made a dash for the buggy. The professor waited until he was out of hearing range before adding: "The fact that no one has ever heard about it could imply that the pilot is on a secret mission. He might not be too thrilled at having eight hundred refugees dumped on him."

"I'll take an annoyed UEF pilot instead of a Cybran or Aeon one any day," said Bime without any hesitation. Dias gave it some thought and nodded in agreement.

**XXXXX**

"The base seems adequate enough, if a bit tight," observed Samantha dryly. Her voice nearly made Arnold jump in his seat and he refrained from throwing his usual sarcastic reply: "It'll work for now. I'll transfer part of my economic structures once I figured out the right way to do it without compromising my energy grid. Can't have our shields fail especially when we still don't know what's out there."

"What do you mean?" asked Samantha with a frown. Arnold transmitted an updated tactical display as he spoke: "So far, we have the Cybran that you fought who is probably busy upgrading her base to tech three, another Cybran base which from the fireworks that I saw earlier has been destroyed and at least one Aeon base. There might be a second one nearby, but I can't be sure. I've been losing a few spy planes that were heading north of us."

Samantha appeared concerned as she next spoke: "If you can't tell what destroyed those spy planes then it suggests that there's a Cybran base to the north as well."

Arnold scoffed and shook his head: "I can't believe that. I never heard of so many Cybrans attacking and especially with so few gains ahead. According to the briefing, there's only one hundred and fifty symbionts out there and the planet is not worth keeping."

Samantha was about to object when a few signals appeared north of their position on a course that would take them towards the undefended mass extractors: "Arnold?"

The local gunships covered by a wing of interceptors quickly took off and moved to intercept even as the other pilot answered: "I got it, I got it."

The flight group moved efficiently towards their target with the interceptors in the lead to act as decoys. Arnold expected to find a group of tanks, but instead found five mobile flaks which immediately opened fire on the interceptors. The fighters had been moving in formation and half of them were destroyed before they could scatter. Arnold immediately recognized the model of mobile flak units and cursed under his breath: "Cybrans!"

Arnold was in the process of giving new orders to his gunships when his eyes widened. One of his interceptors had fallen on a group of Cybran fighters which had been hovering not too far away. Two full Cybran wings flew lazily forward, their radar signature masked by a pair of deceivers which were carried by transports. The enemy broke formation instantly, destroyed the remaining UEF interceptors and moving on to the gunships quickly afterwards. Arnold gave orders to retreat, but they too were destroyed before they could return to base.

"Bloody hell! Where did that come from?" cursed Arnold even as his fingers flew over his console. The answer came in the form of explosions to the south of his base and Samantha's quickly chipped in: "A group of tactical missile launchers on the mountain, probably with deceivers covering their signatures. They are targeting your power generators."

Arnold cursed again, sending engineers to support the shields and add some Buzzkill tactical missile defenses. The air was soon filled with the repeating machine gun fire as they attempted to destroy the incoming missiles, but whenever one was hit, it would split apart, sending several smaller but still powerful projectiles towards their targets. Three tier two generators and four series of tier one mass fabricators blew up before the situation was finally under control. The missiles stopped raining quickly afterwards just as Arnold produced a few bombers to take out the launchers, but renegade gunships appeared north of their position and methodically destroyed one unprotected mass extractor after the other.

"Damn it, where are these guys coming from?" grumbled Arnold as he assembled a task force to fight back: "It seems like they're everywhere at once!"

Samantha looked at the data some more and frowned: "We have to flee into the quantum field with as many forces as we can muster before we're overrun. We won't recover from this in time."

"No way," barked Arnold back with a frown: "I'm not turning tails in front of a Cybran coward that can't fight fair."

Samantha raised her chin slightly: "Think about it, Commander Arnold: it did not take me that long to reach your base. The ACU that I fought did not have the time to set up this ambush so that means there's another one out there. My base is gone, your economy is crippled and our escape routes are being cut off."

Samantha smiled slightly as she added: "Looks like it's your turn to swallow your pride."

**XXXXX**

The ACU's head peaked out of the water and looked around carefully. On one hand, being underwater meant that only a sonar or an Omni field could detect it, but if the ACU got out then even the most basic radar would pick it up. Hex-Five only had a partial cloak upgrade online which meant that he was invisible to visual inspection, but still appeared on basic scans. What's more, he would have to bring the system offline if he wanted to rebuild his base.

"Well, I have to get out sooner or later if I want to escape this dump," grumbled the smuggler under his breath. With that in mind, Hex-Five moved out of the frozen river and plotted a course towards his base. The ACU paused for a moment near the melted remains of Hajax's SCU: "That will be costly."

Hex-Five moved back into his destroyed base with his finger on his laser's overload button. His heart was pounding furiously as if he expected to find a group of leftover Harbingers waiting around the corner. What he found was the remains of the quantum gate and a nice shortcut home: "Finally, lady luck is smiling down on me."

"Leaving so soon?" said an unmistakable voice. Hex-Five froze in place, afraid to turn around or even breathe. It took him a while before daring to speak: "I fulfilled my part of the bargain. I assisted Dostya and brought her here just as you asked."

A deceiver moved past Hex-Five and took a position further ahead: "Indeed you did."

Hex-Five breathed a bit easier, but still stood tense. Usually, satisfied customers appeared more joyous, but in Redfog's case there was no telling whether he would pat him on the back or break his neck. Afraid to move without approval, Hex-Five asked the question that could very well mean the end of his life: "So our business is concluded then? I'm free to go?"

There was a long silence and Hex-Five could almost imagine the sadistic grin under the assassin's mask: "Yes, our business is concluded on all fronts."

Hex-Five let out a breath, but then realized how Redfog had worded his response: "What?"

"The deal was for you to transmit the information and assist Dostya which you did despite your defeat," said Redfog casually. The assassin tilted his head to the side as he added: "My end of the bargain included doing you a favor… and keeping this area cloaked and secured while you make you escape seems like such a favor to me. Our business is therefore concluded and all debts have been paid in full."

The statement brought Hex-Five out of his stupor and this time, he did twirl around. Redfog's ACU stood behind him while deceivers roamed about, shielding their presence and allowing the engineers to rebuild the power grid in record time.

"But that's not fair! I lost a pilot out there!" objected Hex-Five loudly. Redfog's ACU tilted its head to the side: "The risk was yours to take… or do you believe that the Assumpta node is treating you unfairly?"

There was no mistaking the threat behind Redfog's tone nor that he would leave Hex-Five to his own ends if it suited his purpose. The smuggler swallows his pride and shook his head: "No…"

"Good," said Redfog. The assassin was about to turn around, but then turned back towards the smuggler: "Oh and as the Seven Hand Node is so fond of saying: it was a pleasure doing business with you."

Hex-Five winced but did not reply, remembering the last time that the assassin's blade had rested on his throat.

**Chapter 4 **

**A dark mirror **

For a moment, she had feared that all would be lost. When Hex-Five's base had been destroyed, Dostya's only hope had been that the Aeon commander would understand the threat and attack the UEF base until the odds were even. That hope had been crushed when the Aeon commander had fled in the quantum field. Dostya had immediately sent spy planes towards the second UEF base, desperately searching for a weak spot before her opponents could recover. Defeating a seasoned UEF commander was hard enough, but facing two - even if one of them no longer had a base - would be nearly impossible. She had prayed for a miracle, but what she found went far beyond that.

The UEF base – most likely Arnold's – was under attack by a few cleverly placed tactical missiles launchers while groups of interceptors denied any attempts at taking control of the skies. Dostya immediately sent groups of renegade gunships to take out as many mass extractors as she could and marveled at the sight of their combined armies. When she attacked, Hex-Five would cover her. When she regrouped the smuggler would bait out the UEF or move stealth units in the most unexpected places to trap any attempts at a counter attack. Every move that she made, he complemented as if he was reading her very thoughts. Clearly she had underestimated the smuggler, but how did he manage to support so many units without a base?

The answer came when she spotted his ACU moving out of the river and back towards his base. The only possible explanation was a simple one: somehow, the smuggler had a hidden resource expansion that had gone unnoticed during the Aeon attack and he was using it to rebuild his base in record time.

Although she did not favor such tactics herself, Dostya had heard of commanders doing such things. Some went as far as faking their own death and using the downtime to build a massive economy while the rest of their foes kept fighting each other. It was an underhanded move, but a worthwhile one if you could pull it off.

"Nice job Hex-Five, we're doing great!" congratulated Dostya while focusing back on the UEF base: "Now all I need is a way to distract them long enough so that they don't run in the quantum field. With their economy in disarray, every second plays in our favor and we can…"

A warning signal flashed on Dostya's screen over Hex-Five's base, indicating that someone had used a quantum gate to leave the planet. Dostya was unable to breathe for a few seconds, unwilling to believe that the smuggler had fled when victory was at hand. She waited, but the units that supported her troops did not self-destruct and she sighed in relief: "I know that I asked for a distraction, but a warning would have been nice. You even made me believe that you were leaving the planet."

"He did," said another pilot. Dostya's heart skipped a beat and dozens of images from the battle of Matar flashed through her mind in the blink of an eye at the sound of that voice. Redfog's face appeared on her monitor, his eyes reflecting the same unmistakable intensity.

"You…" whispered Dostya, feeling numb and slightly overwhelmed by too many memories.

"The smuggler's skills were inadequate," observed Redfog with a dismissive wave of his hand. He then nodded in determination: "But rest assured that I'll keep assisting you for the duration of this mission. Proceed with your decoy and I'll follow your lead."

Dostya felt her heartbeat quicken, her breath intensify and she gripped her controls even tighter: "You!"

It had taken every bit of self-control not to shout, but the simple word had become an accusation. The assassin merely looked at her, his expression hidden behind his mask: "I understand that my presence here might cause some kind of a shock. I'll terminate this transmission for now and we'll talk again when this battle is over."

Redfog's face disappeared from Dostya's monitor, but she kept staring at it, her hands trembling: "Not him, anyone but him!"

**XXXXX**

"How's that personal shield generator coming Sam?" asked Arnold, his voice growing more urgent. Samantha cursed under her breath, but looked at the timer and nodded: "Thirty seconds. I hope that you know that this is crazy. If there's a single loyalist out there…"

Arnold laughed at that one and nodded: "Yep, but so is staying here under these conditions. The Cybrans paused for some reason so either there's an opening or we're moving in the biggest trap on this side of the planet."

Samantha agreed that there was no other choice, but still had her doubts. Her battle with the Cybran commander had been fast and furious without a hint of hesitation. So why the sudden change? A marker flashed on her screen: "Area shield online, tech three engineering suit online and resource allocation system online."

"All right, let's get this party started!" said Arnold as he pressed a button and a tactical missile shot out of the back of his ACU towards a line of Cerberus point defense turrets. To his relief, an explosion followed a few seconds later and he smiled: "Let's pretend that I said something really inspiring and charge!"

Both ACU's sprung forward followed by a line of Titans, mobile shield generators and mobile flak. Rhinos supported by Renegades immediately appeared to block their path, but their lasers and missiles hit Samantha's area shield. Arnold aimed at the first Rhino and fired, destroying it in two shots thanks to his heavy anti-matter cannon upgrade: "Bunkering down!"

The two ACUs worked in unison; Arnold taking care of ground units while Samantha quickly built a tier two shield generator followed by a few flak turrets. The Rhinos lacked the necessary punch to pierce Samantha's shields and the Renegades' area damage was effectively nullified as long as they were protected by one.

"More enemies incoming on long range radar!" warned Samantha. Arnold bent forward, aligning his tactical missile launcher and fired a newly built projectile. The radar signals quickly disappeared and he cheered loudly: "Lady Luck is still on our side!"

Samantha wanted to retort that they were not out of the woods yet, but refrained from doing so, surprised that they had actually made it this far.

**XXXXX**

Dostya saw the two ACU's escape; slicing a path through their troops and making a break for the quantum field. Their base was as good as gone, but there was nothing that she could do to stop them at this stage because they were too far away and not enough troops were deployed in the area. Arnold would be gone long before her Loyalists landed. She watched on her radar as the enemy troops disappeared in the quantum field a few moments later and slammed a fist in her console.

"Redfog, answer me!" shouted Dostya angrily. The assassin's face appeared on her screen, looking at her without a hint of emotion: "I'm preparing a pursuit squad and finishing my ACU upgrades. It's unfortunate that your attempt did not hold them long enough, but we can track them down."

"How can you be alive?" spouted Dostya back, too angry to even consider the escaping UEF pilots: "You died on Luthien! You can't be alive when Mather is dead!"

This time, the assassin sighed: "I'll gladly indulge your curiosity concerning the trail of bodies that I left on Luthien after you get back to reality, prepare a pursuit force and finish your upgrades."

Dostya snorted, but did as instructed, muttering a string of Russian curses under her breath the whole time. To her surprise, Redfog chuckled, smiling widely under his mask: "Yes, I imagine that if I knew her then this would describe my mother quite well."

Dostya's eyes widened, unable to believe that the assassin understood Russian. Redfog used the moment of stunned silence to expose their current dilemma: "So, which objective shall be our primary one? The symbionts… or Arnold?"

Dostya's eyes narrowed as she answered: "My mission is to save the symbionts, so lay in a pursuit course towards the UEF ACUs. We'll catch them before they can…"

"If that is your objective then you're going in the wrong directions," said Redfog casually while pressing a few buttons on his console: "The symbionts are along this vector."

A series of coordinates was forwarded to Dostya and they indicated a vector that was the complete opposite from the one that the UEF ACUs had taken. Redfog shrugged as he elaborated: "I intercepted and destroyed a scout buggy which was no doubt on a mission to observe who would be victorious. I erased all traces of its presence not long after that and if we follow this vector then we stand better odds of finding the refugees first. Of course we might accidentally do so without engaging Arnold's forces again if we do so…"

Dostya had not expected the objectives to be separate and hesitated a few seconds before finally saying: "Ok, then you will rescue the refugees and I'll go after Arnold. With the state that his forces were in then I can probably attack with more troops then…"

"No," interrupted the assassin flatly.

"What?" asked Dostya, unaccustomed to having her commands refused before she had even had the time to lay them out. Redfog shrugged: "I said that I would assist you and not that I would obey you. Decide what is more important, make a choice and let us move."

Dostya's face grew red with outrage, unable to come to terms between her desire for revenge and her duty to do what was right. The assassin seemed to be reading her very soul at that moment and offered an added incentive: "If you are concerned about Brackman or anyone else finding out about your choice then don't be. I give you my word that what you decide will remain a secret. Besides, it's not like going after Arnold would instantly spell the symbiont's death; it merely lowers their probability of survival."

The offer was tempting and the logic comforting, but Dostya grew more disgusted with every word. Unfortunately, that feeling was not so much due to the assassin but rather that part of Dostya actually considered the offer.

"The symbionts… we're going after the symbionts," said Dostya after a few more seconds of hesitation. If Redfog was disappointed then he did not give any indication as he nodded: "As you wish."

**XXXXX**

Reue felt each step that her ACU took with crystal clarity. Usually, the near organic movements of an Aeon command unit could scarcely be felt when traveling at cruising speeds, but this was something entirely different. The mist from the quantum field hung heavily in the air, obstructing her view and making it seem as if she was moving through a formless landscape without end. As such, even the smallest variation could be felt keenly by the pilot.

She broke the monotony every so often by stopping and ordering the spy planes out of the Czar that floated not too far away. They would make a sweep through the area, carefully staying within their limited communication's range, and then return to the ship. Each time the result was the same: nothing new to report.

With nothing to occupy her mind, Reue found her thoughts drifting to other matters. She thought about the current course of the Aeon Illuminate; cleansing worlds over and over again with the objective of diminishing the UEF ranks. Already the results could be felt with fewer enemy raids, but there was a price to pay. Many had difficulty believing in the Avatar-of-War's tactics and could no longer find any peace of mind.

Reue's hand went instinctively to her chest as if to grasp something, but she scolded herself, remembering that she had given up the locket as part of her initiation to The Way. Most of her family was dead, caught in the crossfire when the Aeon had attacked her colony years go. The UEF commander had acted in a cowardly fashion, building power generators alongside civilian buildings in the hope that this would give pause to the Aeon commander. It had not and Reue had been trapped under the rubbles for days before they dug her out.

She remembered resisting at first, refusing to eat or drink from the people that had destroyed all that she knew. Reue remembered the turning point as well when the very pilot that had attacked them had visited her and apologized. It was her eyes that she remembered the most and the grief buried in them. The commander had done everything in her power to avoid that outcome, cornering the UEF pilot and begging for him to surrender to save the civilians. His final charge and subsequent death was what had triggered the destruction of the power facilities.

Both pilots had stood for what they believed in, both thinking that they were right and yet it had not stopped the deaths of thousands of innocents. The one thing that troubled Reue the most, however, was a simple thought: what if she rescued a child of her own? Would she be able to look at him or her with a regretful but peaceful gaze… or would her doubts and sins be written on her face?

Shaking her head to clear it, Reue realized that she had just spent the last two minutes staring at her radar screen, hypnotized by its constant beeping. Such carelessness could very well cost her dearly and she looked at her main screen to keep her mind alert. Her heart skipped a beat for a second when she thought that she saw the face of her little brother etched in the fog. She blinked reflexively but it was gone, replaced by the same formless mass that had always surrounded her.

Reue's hands flashed on the console, replaying the video feedback on her secondary monitor, but she found no trace of the image. She had dreamed of her brother before, but this was the first time that she had been troubled by such a vision. Although it was most likely only a trick of her mind, Reue clearly remembered the horror etched in her brother's face.

**XXXXX**

"Oh man, oh man! I can't wait to find that pilot and not to mention that huge Fatboy!" said Kevin enthusiastically. He turned towards the buggy's other two occupants and spoke excitedly: "My cousin's half-brother saw one in action a month ago and he said it was like watching a continuous fireworks display. I can't think of a better unit to defend us out here!"

Kevin looked from Bime to the professor, but the two of them had grown gloomier by the minute. The farmer scratched his head in confusion, but opted for the quick way out instead of trying to figure out what was wrong by himself: "What's wrong, guys? Am I missing something here?"

Bime concentrated on the road, but looked to his right briefly: "Want to tell him or should I?"

The Professor brought a hand to his chin and nodded slowly: "You go ahead ensign. I'm curious to see if I reached the same conclusion as you."

Kevin climbed forward and positioned his head between the two forward seats: "So what's up?"

"First the obvious," said Bime while nodding towards the road: "We're moving further and further away from the Alpha Seven site and deeper in the quantum field."

The professor nodded quickly: "It can't get much more obvious than that."

Kevin looked at each of them in turn: "So?"

"I told you about how the quantum field stopped communication's beyond a certain range right?" asked Bime, making sure that Kevin was up to speed before speaking again: "Well I'm not sure that you realized it, but we've been traveling in a straight line for a while now and we have not found the Fatboy, a base, an escort or an ACU."

Kevin scratched the back of his head: "Ok so maybe the Fatboy is covering the rear of an army and erasing all the tracks with its own or maybe the UEF found a way to slice through the quantum field and extend their range."

The farmer's face lit up as he embraced his own theory: "Hey, wouldn't that be great? If we were the only one able to operate in this soup and then send some quantum bombs or something on other worlds? They could not fight at long range, but we could!"

Professor Dias tapped the man on the shoulders to comfort him: "I applaud your optimism, but I would suggest that you avoid delving in the realm of wishful thinking if not outright science fiction."

Kevin was obviously disappointed and sank back in his seat while the professor turned a more appreciative gaze upon Bime: "Those were very sharp observations, Ensign, and I congratulate you on your clear thinking."

Bime looked at the Professor briefly and wondered what his angle was, but the man was already looking out the window, searching for some sign of the Fatboy. Something was up in that calculating mind of his, but now was not the right time to find out.

**XXXXX**

"Commander Arnold, I think that I might have found something," said Samantha. Arnold realized that he had been absent minded for a split second and shook his head to clear it: "Zach, just call me Zach, okay?"

Samantha hesitated a moment before finally surrendering: "Fine, Zach. I might have some information here about one of the Cybran pilots that attacked us."

"I'm all ears Sam," said Arnold, ignoring Samantha's frown. She was apparently unused to such familiarities, but she kept her private thoughts to herself as she said: "I've narrowed down the list of potential pilots from the files that I have and I think that the pilot that is on our tail is named Ivanna Dostya."

Arnold twisted the name in his mind a few times before shaking his head: "Sounds familiar, but I can't seem to place it."

"You faced her during the battle of Matar a year ago," noted Samantha dryly. The crystal clear image of a Cybran SCU slamming Desjar immediately sprung to mind and Arnold jumped in his seat: "The crazy hostage taker?"

"The piece of transmission that overlapped my link earlier was from a female Cybran," said Samantha with a nod: "That much was clear and she was looking for you. From your file, it appears that you haven't faced many Cybrans in the past and few of those are still alive. I compared today's voice print with those from a year ago and, distortion aside, they are a near match."

Arnold ran a hand along his neck to massage his sore muscle and whistled: "Guess I made quite an impression for her to want me dead that badly. You try to kill someone once…"

"Twice," corrected Samantha instantly. Arnold blinked in surprise: "What?"

"You tried to kill her twice," clarified Samantha while typing a few commands in her console: "The second time was on Matar, but according to what I have here, she was one of the symbionts that escaped from Earth nearly four years ago. Your ACU shot their transport just as it was entering the quantum gate, but apparently she survived."

Arnold let go of his neck and allowed his hand to fall limp to his side: "Wow... so I nearly killed her twice and I was involved in the death of one of her pilot buddies, huh?"

"Yes and you should really research your enemy profiles more thoroughly," added Samantha while shaking her head in disbelief: "I can't believe that I know more about your file than you do."

Arnold shrugged slightly and grinned: "I never had good relations with tac ops – or should I say Earthcom now – and piloting an ACU is a tricky thing. I've seen good pilots fall because they thought that they knew their opponents when in fact they didn't. People change with some getting better and others getting a whole lot worse. That information is still useful, but it only confirms how deeply screwed we are at the moment."

Samantha was about to object but took a deep breath and let it out: "I guess you're right. All of the units accompanying us are leaving a track that they can't possibly miss. No doubt they'll bring a far more imposing army after us and their ACUs will be fully upgraded. We could split up and hope that one of us manages to create a base in time?"

Arnold shook his head slowly: "I messed up that option. Since I have all the guns and you have all the shields, splitting up leaves one defenseless and the other weaponless. I haven't seen one of those famous microwave lasers that I heard so much about, but I know that a single ACU could tear either of us apart in a heartbeat. Together at least we have a shot of destroying one opponent before he destroys the two of us."

"If we keep moving we're only delaying and if we stop we die," observed Samantha half to herself. Her eyes darted left and right as she searched for alternatives, but found none: "Don't we have any other plan?"

Arnold nodded quickly: "Yeah we do: keep walking and talking while the quantum field does the job for us."

Samantha snorted, hardly calling that a plan: "I told you before Zach, I don't believe in ghost stories."

"You will before the end of the day," predicted Arnold, his intense gaze making it clear that he was not joking.

**XXXXX**

They moved in silence, their ACUs standing out of range of each other's omni field. The only indication of their presence was the armies that accompanied each of them. The only time when Dostya had briefly known the assassin's location was when he had tested his heavy microwave laser.

Although she could not see the ACU she could imagine it clearly, standing around with its nonstandard configuration of colors that looked as if the black and red ACU was covered in blood. Even his microwave laser was out of the norm as its frequency modulator oscillated when it fired. Although it did not affect the damage output, the end result changed how the weapon sounded as if the laser was somehow shrieking like a beast when it was fired.

All of these minor modifications were meant to further enhance Redfog's well-deserved infamous reputation. To his enemies, they were most likely terrifying. To Dostya, it only served as a reminder as to how unjust the whole galaxy was. That a man… no… a creature such as him was still alive when Mather was dead.

Dostya finally opened a channel, finding a practical reason to talk to the man that she despised the most: "Why are you here?"

Redfog's face appeared on her screen, emotionless as before: "I have a debt to pay."

Dostya snorted, her contempt rising: "To whom? To me or perhaps to Mather? I don't need your sympathy or your help."

She expected him to be object or to be angry. Dostya wanted to hurt him and to make him feel at least a fraction of what she felt. The assassin, however, would not give her the satisfaction and remained as emotionless as ever: "My debt involves helping you, but I do not owe you or Mather anything."

The simple sentence had erased any form of leverage that Dostya could have hoped to wield and she stayed silent as the assassin elaborated: "You received what you needed to complete the Monkeylord, I got a shot at my personal objectives and each of our parties ended with casualties. All debts are paid and I bear you no personal grudges despite your direct involvement in the death of one of my men."

Dostya clenched her fists angrily, her knuckles turning white. Not only was she incapable of hurting him, but he had actually turned her attack against her: "You're a bastard, Redfog! You don't deserve to be alive and you're not even human anymore! You're the very incarnation of everything that could be wrong and you don't deserve to fight in this war!"

"I don't deserve to?" echoed Redfog while raising an eyebrow. Dostya smiled, finally glad that she had apparently found an angle of attack: "That's right! You don't fight for the Cybran Nation at all now, do you? You just fight for yourself. You fight for your pathetic ego, to stay on top of the Assumpta food chain or maybe for your twisted pleasure. You're nothing but a meaningless war machine."

There was a long pause and Dostya's fingers rested over the button that controlled her microwave laser, ready to face the assassin in a duel if it came to that. Redfog did not attack: "What I do has a lot of meaning and I am one of the few that actually deserve to fight in this war."

The words were said without ego, malice or pride. Dostya could sense the conviction behind them as he kept talking: "Every person that I kill is for a reason, my goals are clear and my methods decisive. I destroy knowing full well what I do, the horror behind it and the pain that I leave behind. I hold no illusions; no talk about justice, right, wrong, the welfare of all or the some subjective distinction between good or evil."

"My methods are horrible, without mercy or any form of compassion," added Redfog without a hint of hesitation: "My style is as cruel and inhuman as it could possibly be and by almost all definitions I am a monster. I do all of this knowingly and with a clear mind. I am honest with who I am, with what I am and that is what makes me one of the few individuals ever to be worthy to fight in a war."

Dostya paled not because of what the Assassin had said but because he actually believed it. Redfog fixed his gaze upon her then, his eyes completely devoid of mercy: "I have been crushed and broken countless times and yet on every occasion, I have managed to stand back up and continue forward. That is more than I can say about you."

Dostya brought a hand to her chest, feeling her heart beat as painfully as she had ever felt in her life: "What?"

"The question that you should ask yourself, Ivanna Dostya, is if you are the one worthy to fight in this war," declared the assassin while tilting his head upward: "All it took was the death of a single loved one to crush you and you've been limping forward ever since. I am the monster, but tell me which one of us has truly been dishonest about their very existence."

Dostya felt her eyes grow watery, but she would not give him the satisfaction of crying: "What the hell do you want from me?"

Redfog looked at her, his gaze unwavering: "The real question is what do you want?"

With that, the assassin closed the channel.

**Chapter 5 **

**Breaking point **

Redfog waited silently with both hands folded in front of him. A human mind was not unlike a human body: sometimes, a wound did not heal properly and would not do so without outside help. It was then that a scalpel was used or a bone broken so that the injury could mend properly.

Of course unlike any medical procedure, breaking a mind was neither a recognized medical practice nor was it well viewed by anyone. Most saw it only as kicking someone who was already down, but the assassin was hardly above that either. In Dostya's case, the trial that he was putting her through might very well break her completely, but that might be considered a favor as well. Not only was she a danger to herself by fighting under her skill level, but she could very well cost the lives of all of those that depended on her.

In any case, this was not really what motivated Redfog. After all if he took it upon himself to weed out the weak commanders then he might very well cut off the third of the Cybran military in the process and it was not as if they did not serve a purpose anyway. No… the assassin had a debt to pay. A year ago, he had made a choice, allowing Mather to escape while he faced his destiny alone. He should have died that day, but fate had other plans in mind, denying the only significant selfless act that the assassin had ever done.

Redfog held no illusions about his current course of action which was nowhere near as noble nor would Dostya ever appreciate it. He was helping her, yes, but he was doing it for his own sake. It was his way of spitting back at fate and reaffirming his own existence. Once that was out of the way then he would be free to get back to business: preparing the way for the assault on Earth. It would take many years for his plans to succeed, but he would be there in the end, standing atop it all as it burned.

A shadow of a movement caught Redfog's eye and for a second, he could have sworn that he had seen Mather's face in the mist crying in agony. His ACU was on a direct course towards that sighting and another pilot might have paused, but the assassin was not like any other pilot. Redfog made a quick sensor diagnostic and confirmed that they were working properly. He then lifted a hand, ejected a blade from the hidden compartment of his wrist and twirled it in a complex pattern. Satisfied that his artificial limbs were working at peak efficiency and that his control over them was unaffected, he returned the blade to its hidden compartment and snorted.

Tricks of the mind would not deter him as long as his fighting abilities were not impaired. Other than that, he might as well be moving down a flourishing prairie or over layers of corpses through deepest pits of hell. He had done both before and neither outcome would faze him.

**XXXXX**

"We're getting close. I can feel the vibrations in the ground," said Kevin. Bime nodded at the farmer's assessment and gazed at the thick fog ahead. He did not know if he was either glad or afraid of what it represented. He opened a channel to the other transports in order to keep his mind busy: "We're closing in on the Fatboy. Every transport report power output and condition."

"Transport one, energy reserves at eighty percent and we're doing well."

"Transport two, reserves at eighty two, but a few of the passengers are getting jumpy."

"Transport three, seventy eight and we got a few mood swings around here too."

Bime nodded, but there was a sudden pause before someone finally responded: "Err… transport five, eighty one percent and symbionts are as silent as corpses…"

Professor Dias suddenly jerked up in his seat: "What about transport four? We had other symbionts there."

"Transport four please respond," ordered Bime, thinking that the driver had probably been half asleep on the wheel. He tapped his microphone when no answer came and spoke again: "Transport four?"

The only response that came was the sound of gunfire followed by a scream.

**XXXXX**

Kathy looked at the blue lines that covered the weird man's face. She did not know what they were for, but she thought they looked pretty. It reminded her of her nightlight that her aunt used to activate in her bedroom.

Thinking about her aunt only reminded Kathy that she was no longer with her and that she was alone once again. A sudden bump made the six year old stumble in the transport and her head would have collided with the nearby bulkhead had a hand not caught her and pulled her back at the last moment. Kathy looked back to thank the one that had helped her, but there was no one there besides another row of blue faced men and none of them appeared to have moved. She would have tried to question them, but something at the front of the transport caught her attention.

"Faces, faces everywhere. Faces staring, faces crying, faces and more faces…" The mumbling was coming from one of the adults who had been staring out of the window for the past hour. The soldier sitting opposite of him had his fists clenched tightly: "Shut up man… just shut up already…"

"They won't be silent no," said the delirious man while shaking his head: "The faces are staring, screaming, asking why we're doing all of this. The faces!"

The soldier stood up then, his hand on his holstered pistol: "I told you to shut up you piece of trash! There's nothing out there so just shut up!"

The hysteric man turned around and grinned widely, his eyes unable to stay fixed on anything: "You see them too don't you? She screamed as she burned you know that? You did not do anything to save her."

The soldier suddenly drew his pistol and aimed it at the hysterical man's head. The other ten passengers scrambled away frantically, but the symbionts did not move a muscle even as the soldier screamed: "I'll kill you if you don't shut up right now!"

The hysterical man started laughing uncontrollably and the soldier stood shaking in frustration for a few seconds before finally pulling the trigger. Kathy saw the bullet pierce the man's head, spraying blood over the window and she screamed.

"You shot him! God, why did you shoot him?" shouted the driver. The soldier turned around and aimed at him: "Shut up and keep driving!"

The man turned around and did just that while the soldier motioned for everyone to move away with his gun: "He should have just stayed quiet… and why won't this girl stop crying? I can't think with all this crying!"

The soldier rushed towards the rear of the transport and with each step, Kathy cried even louder. This only infuriated the soldier who lifted his weapon threateningly: "Shut up! You saw what I did to him and you think that I won't do it to you? I said shut…"

The soldier raised the gun and was about to aim it at the little girl when a hand closed over his wrist. He looked to his right and saw that one of the symbionts had grabbed it. He tried to move, but the symbiont was already in motion, twisting the arm away while grappling him. A shot went off, ricocheted along the bulkhead and was followed by a cry of pain from the front of the transport.

The soldier tried to free his arm, but the symbiont was faster, pulling the knife from the soldier's belt and then stabbing the man through the throat. A twist of the wrist allowed the symbiont to wrestle the hand gun away and he pointed it at the passengers at the front. He hesitated a moment when he saw the victim of the stray bullet; a man who had been shot in the arm and was now sprawled on the ground: "Stop the transport and everybody out!"

The driver hit the brakes instantly and the transport stopped. The sudden jolt sent Kathy stumbling forward and she hit her head against the bulkhead. She fell unconscious to the ground.

**XXXXX**

It had been a mistake, of that Sather was certain. He should have stayed immobile as he was meant to, but the sight of the gun coming down on that little girl had stirred something in him. Because of his actions, the symbionts in the other transport might very well be doomed, but there was nothing that he could do to take it back now. Sather moved with the sudden jolt of the transport, using the momentum to spring forward and reach the front of the cabin, passing by the man that had been accidentally shot in the shoulder: "Out, all of you out!"

The rest were civilians and they scrammed out of the vehicle as quickly as they could, opening the doors and throwing themselves face first in the snow. It was then that Sather realized his second mistake: "Wait! Take the wounded… and that girl back there too!"

The warning came too late. The other passengers had already been terrified by the panicked soldier and the sudden manifestation of a Cybran spy had not done anything to improve the situation. Sather cursed under his breath and considered throwing the unconscious man and girl through the door, but a brief look outside told him that the other transports were already turning around: "Damn it, no time!"

**XXXXX**

"Transport four respond… three and five, what's happening?" asked Bime, his voice growing insistent. Professor Dias leaned towards the radio: "We can't afford to lose a single of symbiont. They hold most of our data in their…"

"This is five," came the sudden interruption from the radio: "There were gunshots and now the passengers are jumping out of the transport for some reason. It looks like someone just went nuts in there. I'm stopping near one."

Bime and Dias leaned forward to hear the talk in the background, but only one word was shouted clearly: Cybran.

"He's accelerating and veering off!" shouted the driver of the fifth transport: "Transport three, give me a hand, I'm going after him!"

Bime cursed loudly and twisted the wheel, sending the buggy through a complete turn: "Negative three and five, do not chase. I repeat, do not chase!"

"Ensign, we need those symbionts!" objected the Professor, but Bime slammed his foot on the pedal which sent the professor crashing back in his seat: "The only thing that any of us have are basic firearms and each minute that we are out here without the protection of an ACU or of that Fatboy that we've been following is one minute where even the most basic of enemy controlled units could wipe us out."

For a moment, it seemed as though Professor Dias would object, but Bime cut him off before he could: "You want those thirty five symbionts back, fine, but we do that after we get the rest of us under some form of cover and preferably off world. If we're not moving towards the Fatboy then we're moving away from it and that's not helping!"

The buggy quickly caught up to the other transports and they could see the exchange of gunfire now. Transport three suddenly veered out of control and it was all that Bime could do to avoid crashing into it. The panicked voice of someone from that transport soon reached them: "The driver is hit in the arm!"

Bime shouted in the transmitter again: "Transport five, disengage now!"

The other transport followed a few meters longer, but then did as it was ordered and stopped. Bime sighed in relief and was mentally bracing himself for the professor's backlash, but the older man appeared preoccupied by something else: "Why did he only shoot him in the arm?"

**XXXXX**

"Ok Sam, keep talking," said Arnold, his gaze alert: "I don't want any awkward silences and don't stare at the fog."

Samantha looked at her monitor and rolled her eyes: "Arnold… Zach, I'd rather concentrate on finding a high concentration of mass. If we could find a large one then we just might be able to build a base and hold it long enough to fight those that are behind us. Besides, its not like we have much to talk about; we already know how deep in a mess we're in."

Arnold rubbed a hand over his face: "Humor me. How about those Cybrans, huh? There were three of them to kill us? That's like a quarter of their army right?"

Arnold grinned, betting that his naïve façade would annoy Samantha enough so that she would focus on him again. Fortunately it did: "Not even you can be that ignorant."

"Ok, ok, so maybe that was ten percent of their army right there," said Arnold with a shrug, adjusting his estimations with the latest official intelligence. Samantha looked away from Arnold and he knew instantly that something was wrong but it was not related to the quantum field. Arnold leaned towards his screen and raised an eyebrow: "Those are the numbers that Tac Ops… I mean Earthcom always gave us at briefings; three or four dozen ACUs at any one time right?"

"Those are the official numbers, yes," admitted Samantha with a wince. Arnold's nostrils flared, annoyed at the distant and politically correct attitude that plagued so many higher ups. He knew the difference between someone giving it to him straight and someone feeding him propaganda: "How many? Fifty? Sixty?"

"There are never more than the official numbers attacking or defending at any one time as far as we know," answered Samantha defensively. She looked away and frowned then as she listened to her instincts: "But after fighting them for the past four years, I have a feeling that they are purposely holding back. Their commanders might very well number in the hundreds."

Arnold's eyes widened and a shudder ran through his spine: "That doesn't make much sense to me. If they had those numbers then why aren't they pushing us like the Aeon are doing?"

Samantha bit her lip, wondering how she had managed to let that one slip. The last time that she had voiced that theory publicly, she had been severely reprimanded by her superiors, but she decided that Arnold was not the kind of person to spread gossip: "Think about it. Each time that we invade their territory, we are either ambushed or find nothing but dust. Without results, we neither have the necessary political or popular backing to keep attacking. The reason that we usually find nothing is that they have somehow infiltrated our network on almost every level hence why we are reassigning everything to Earthcom."

"They are waiting Zach," explained Samantha with a concerned expression: "Because they know that as long as they don't appear as a significant threat then we'll keep focusing on the Aeons and they can build their forces in secret."

Arnold gave it some more thought and then slapped his leg in disgust: "Bah, bullets for porn."

The sudden remark made Samantha jump in her seat: "What?"

"Oh sorry," said Arnold while waving the expression away: "It's an inside joke between me and Desjar when we talked about how screwed up things were. He once said that if each suggestive picture, movie or fiction produced on the net per year could be transformed into a bullet then we would have won the war centuries ago. That or at least blown up a few planets."

Samantha snorted but had to nod: "It's unfortunate that it's true."

**XXXXX**

Each step was like a hammer blow directed at Reue's mind, amplified by her imagination. The Way was a form of universal peace and love.

Another step, another blow…

For The Way to flourish, it had to be shared with humanity and since humans were resistant to change then great efforts had to be made to break through old self-destructive habits and instincts.

The hammer struck again…

The war had lasted over a thousand years without making any permanent progress. Their new strategy was now winning, but it required destroying everyone and everything. Universal peace and love were no longer the driving forces behind their actions.

One more step…

If winning the war meant giving up the very values that had justified it then how could they go on? How could Reue believe in what she was doing under those conditions? Her will was strong, but every step in the quantum field weakened her resolve as her thoughts twirled in a self-destructing circle. Reue felt herself dying one piece at a time.

**XXXXX**

An hour had passed since they entered the quantum field and each minute was becoming harder to bear. At first, Dostya had thought that Redfog had purposely turned her away from Arnold in some kind of twisted mental test. They had found the transport tracks not long afterwards, however, and she was forced to admit that he had not led her astray.

They were now following the tracks, hoping to catch a hold of the transports once their batteries were out and hopefully before anyone else found them. Dostya had briefly considered stopping at the first mass site and construct a factory in order to build an air transport, but the procedure would be too risky. It would mean sacrificing the bulk of their forces and they could not afford that with Aeon and UEF units in the area.

What had Dostya on edge was not the mission or even the Assumpta assassin moving somewhere around her, but rather the perpetual silence that surrounded them. Every few moments, she found her mind wandering and whenever that happened, her thoughts would reach out to Mather. She had always managed to bury those memories before so why were they coming back so forcibly now?

Realizing that she could no longer keep her mind off the subject, she decided against her better judgment to reach out for the only other person out there: "Why are you doing this?"

Redfog's face appeared on her monitor and to her annoyance, he appeared unaffected by the quantum field: "I already told you why I was here."

"That's not what I meant," said Dostya while shaking her head. She searched for her words not because she was afraid to upset the assassin, but rather because the answer actually mattered to her: "You don't care about me, Brackman, the Cybran Nation or even your own node, do you?"

The assassin's eyes narrowed: "You don't know anything about me."

"Am I wrong?" asked Dostya, persuaded that she was right. Redfog appeared to give it some thought as if judging whether she was worthy of the information or not before answering: "No."

Dostya could not find any trace of deception in his voice, but that did not say much. Still, she needed to know more: "So why keep going? Why do you keep fighting even now?"

"I believe and that is enough," answered Redfog simply. His gaze hardened again as he added: "What I believe, however, is no one's business but my own."

Dostya was momentarily puzzled by the assassin's tone as she could not determine whether it was a threat or a form of advice: "After all I've been through, I don't think that I can believe in divine influence or a form of higher power."

Redfog snorted, waving the notion away: "Belief does not imply gods or religion. It simply implies the confidence in something that may or may not defy logic, probabilities or even facts. It makes humans both interesting and terrifying at the same time."

Dostya looked at the assassin, searching for any sign that he was deceiving her, but everything about him suggested that he was speaking the truth: "Belief has never won a war, fed a hungry child or healed anyone."

"Belief is what started this war," insisted Redfog sternly: "It created the Cybran Nation and it is the very reason why Brackman is still alive."

Dostya's eyes widened in disbelief: "What?"

"Don't you know?" asked Redfog out of a mix of surprise and annoyance: "Brackman led the original rebellion against all odds, facing the threat of total annihilation for centuries before managing to rise to a fraction of our current power. More importantly, he has survived, carrying through despite the loss of millions of his so called children."

Of course Dostya had known that, but she stayed silent not out of fear but rather out of curiosity. Redfog's voice was laced with something resembling respect even as he explained: "Only a near inhuman strength of will and belief could have done such a thing and it is one that would dwarf that of any Aeon commander. The Way has at least a few basic shreds that tie it into reality. Brackman's beliefs are far more irrational than that."

The assassin shrugged in exasperation and then merely added: "He believes in humans of all things. There is nothing more unreasonable, foolish or without a greater string of damning proofs than believing in us and yet he still does. Despite several millennia of war, torture, discrimination and conflicts, he still believes that there is hope for us and that should the Cybran Nation ever triumph then we – through our equally cybernetic enhanced minds – might find a way to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past."

Redfog snorted: "I do not share Brackman's beliefs… but I do respect them."

Dostya's eyes widened. Was that a sincere note of admiration in his voice? The assassin went on regardless: "He knows how futile it all seems and his beliefs are not based on lies or a lack of information. His convictions have been tested and he still clings to them despite how painful they can be."

Redfog looked at Dostya suddenly, his gaze holding her own: "That is why in times of conflict, a strong and honest belief can save you… but a flawed one will leave you broken… just like you."

The words stabbed at Dostya as painfully as any knife, but she could neither find the strength nor the anger to refute them. Instead of giving her a moment to recover, Redfog drove his point home: "I might not know you, but I know your past. Calling in a few favors saw to that. You were broken on Earth; your belief shattered by UEF lies as you willingly joined the symbiont program. Mather helped piece your life back together when you entered the Cybran nation…"

Dostya nodded, feeling a tear fall freely along her cheek: "I could believe in him and in what we were doing."

"You believed that what you – all of you – were doing was right, but that belief hinged on the family that had adopted you," corrected Redfog harshly: "A vision that cannot be upheld alone is one waiting to be broken. Only by making it your own can you stand tall as everything else crumbles. If you don't then you might as well give up, return to Minerva and never pilot an ACU again."

Dostya's stopped her ACU and clutched her shoulders: "I can't…"

Redfog's voice softened, becoming insidious and suggestive: "Sure you can."

The assassin's ACU suddenly moved within Dostya's Omni field and her sensors mapped its outline. Dostya did not bother to look at her instruments and merely shook her head: "I can't…"

"I'll make it easier on you," insisted the assassin while closing the distance between them: "Go back to Minerva and I'll finish this mission alone. I won't leave without the symbionts or until everyone is dead."

Tears fell down uncontrollably as Dostya wrestled with the memories of Mather, her family on Earth and everyone else that she had ever lost. In the meantime, Redfog delicately pushed her ACU sideways, aiming her along a vector that would take her out of the quantum field: "Go on, get going… that's a good girl…"

Dostya took a step forward, but as she did, other images flooded her mind. She saw the other symbionts that had escaped Earth with her as they relished their freedom, the children that she had saved back at Three-Rivers as well as the hundreds of other Cybrans that she had freed or saved. Her grief slowly transformed into something else, something that she did not truly understand, but screamed at her to fight back. Dostya twisted her ACU back towards Redfog, pushing the mechanical arm away in the process.

The assassin growled softly, blocking Dostya's path and pushing her away. She responded by slamming her head forward in a move that Bagby had taught her. The assassin dodged sideways but the blow still connected, sending his ACU stumbling backwards.

"Now you listen to me!" shouted Dostya back, practically spitting the words: "I'm in charge of this mission and I won't let anyone stand in my way. Not you or anyone else!"

The assassin's chest plate had opened to reveal the heavy microwave laser and it hummed to life even as Redfog opposed her: "Millions will die! You, Bagby, Keith, Ell and everyone else that participates will also meet a similar fate! You are not prepared!"

"I know!" screamed Dostya back instinctively. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulder afterwards, unwilling to back down as she said more softly: "I know."

The two ACUs faced each other for a few moments before the humming from Redfog's heavy microwave laser died down. The chest plating slid back into place and the assassin nodded, all traces of fury gone from his features: "At last, we understand each other."

**Chapter 6 **

**Echoes of the past **

"Zach… what's going on here?" asked Samantha, a trace of worry slipping into her voice: "Why is my mind being drawn to the fog like a magnet? You know something, don't you?"

Arnold winced, but nodded: "Yeah, but telling someone about it is like telling someone not to think about something. You're better off not telling him at all because when you do explain it then he can't stop thinking about it."

Samantha thought that she saw the stern and unforgiving face of her father in the mist and suddenly found it hard to swallow: "Well, it's probably too late right now so how about explaining it to me? You saw this happen on your first trip here, right? That's why you were so reluctant to come back?"

"Yeah… a lot of people that were with me went nuts during that campaign," answered Arnold, his gaze growing inward as he remembered those terrible days: "They'd go on a shooting rampage or self-destruct while screaming. I got the others out of here by keeping them busy and talking their ears off. We explored every possible subject from politics, sports, cartoons and color of undergarments."

Samantha snorted: "You can forget about those subjects with me."

Arnold shrugged: "Anyway, those that managed to get out, mainly Brisley, Harrigan, Menphris, Thedford and I, swore to never talk about it again and leave it out of our reports. An ACU pilot that shows any sign of mental instability is quickly taken off the force because of the obvious risks. They can't have an ACU going berserk in the middle of a city after all."

A shake of the head allowed Arnold to clear his mind and he focused on the situation at hand: "We never found out what caused the hallucinations, but the loss of so many pilots forced high command to abandon the planet and since then, neither Aeon nor Cybran have claimed it. We can only hope that they are just as easily affected by it."

There was a brief moment of hesitation before Arnold spoke again: "Hey Sam? Why did you refuse the teddy bear back at the fair?"

Samantha looked away from him: "… It had nothing to do with you. It's just…"

The words trailed off as Samantha struggled with whether or not she would open up. Meanwhile, Arnold blinked in surprise, barely believing that there might actually be a woman under that stern face. Samantha finally nodded before speaking again: "Ever since I was a kid, people have been encouraging, helping and praising me. I was the daughter of Stephen Clarke; one of the greatest heroes of his generation."

The pilot shrugged unconsciously as she went on: "I enjoyed it at first, but it did not take long before I grew sick of all the attention. Every accomplishment, including mediocre ones, was being celebrated and everyone from teachers to officers wanted to make it easier on me because they wanted me to succeed."

Samantha straightened her chest, head rising: "I wanted to succeed, but I wanted to be recognized for what I did and not for what others wanted to see. I only volunteered for the least attractive tours of duty that I could find."

Arnold nodded somberly, finding a new respect for the woman who he had thought to be nothing more than some kind of glory driven officer. Samantha looked away again: "I thought that I had gotten over my father's name when I became a Colonel, but it only aggravated the problem. Now other officers were interested in me, knowing that any relationship would be a boost to their career. That's why I have never allowed someone from the military to come anywhere close to me."

"And I just twisted the blade deeper by calling you an elitist snob back at the fair," finished Arnold, having finally understood why she had been so defensive: "I guess I owe you an apology right about now and I feel sorry for what I said."

The trace of a smile touched Samantha's lips: "Don't be, Zach. You're the first one that approached me honestly in a long time… even if you're a pig."

Arnold snorted, but then smiled, recognizing the banter for what it was: "Well, the longer we stay here then the greater the odds will be that either of us will lose it. It's your mission, so the choice is yours Sam. How far are you willing to go?"

Samantha was about to answer when an echo appeared on her sensor: "That's weird."

"Faces? Don't stare at them," warned Arnold quickly while keeping himself busy with something else: "It's best to ignore them... or imagine that they are all jerks like Riley. It can actually be funny when…"

Samantha cut off Arnold with a shake of her head: "Unless the Cybrans managed to jump ahead of us or those apparitions suddenly developed a metallic signature then that's not what I'm detecting. I'm plotting a course to intercept."

Arnold sent one of his remaining land scouts ahead and his eyes widened when the image was forwarded to him: "Is that what I think it is?"

"Confirmed," said Samantha, having a hard time believing it herself: "There's a UEF support command unit ahead of us..."

**XXXXX**

They charged ahead, both ACUs walking within range of each other's Omni field and following the tracks from the UEF transports with their armies surrounding them. Dostya's thoughts still occasionally drifted towards Mather, but whenever they did so, she embraced the memories, using them to harden her heart. It was painful, but doing it was the only way to go on and grow.

"Once we catch up to them then we'll most likely have to capture the transports quickly before they can think of using the symbionts as hostages," warned Redfog in a neutral voice: "There will be no other choice but to kill every human whether he is a civilian or part of the military."

Dostya knew that Redfog was testing her newfound resolve and she nodded quickly, having reached the same conclusion: "Agreed, but there is still another option since we have a spy amongst them."

Redfog raised an eyebrow: "Of what node?"

"The Yamagata Node," answered Dostya, momentarily glad for the slight edge that she had over the assassin: "Which explains why you were not aware of him."

The assassin snorted in disgust: "Delusional pacifistic fools pretending to wage a war on moral high ground. We can forget about getting any help from him."

"They provide the highest level of information, but only to the nodes that will follow their principles of minimal collateral damage," corrected Dostya, unwilling to dismiss the node so easily: "More than one UEF commander has been assassinated or delayed long enough in order to win a battle in minutes. They may be picky about who they associate with, but even you can't deny their effectiveness."

Dostya mentally added that the reason that they never associated with the Assumpta Node was because they were known for having many bloodthirsty pilots. Redfog merely shrugged and let it go at that.

**XXXXX**

Kevin cried in delight, bouncing around like a child about to receive a Christmas present: "There it is, there it is!"

Rolling a few hundred meters ahead was the Fatboy, its frame obscured by the fog and the snow that was being propelled backwards by its tracks. Bime did not rejoice yet, more worried that the war machine had not spotted them by now: "All transports hold back and stay at a constant distance. We'll scout it out and see if we can get the owner's attention."

Bime stepped on the pedal, accelerating away from the transports and aiming on a course that would hopefully take them between the Fatboy's tracks. Meanwhile, Professor Dias rubbed his chin: "I am not familiar with the specifics concerning the Fatboy's design, but it seems to me that it's larger than expected."

"That's good!" said Kevin encouragingly. The farmer grinned as he added: "It probably means that it has bigger guns and that we'll be capable of leaving this planet easily! I just can't wait to see them… so where are they? Oh and what's that?"

Bime's eyes narrowed as he tried to make it out and he nodded a second later: "Looks like a power generator to me… it's not a Fatboy."

"I'd give it roughly three hundred meters in width," said Professor Dias with a critical eye: "Far bigger than any experimental weapon of its type. I don't see any cannons that is typical of its design, but that looks like the standard UEF factory tower in the middle of its structures. The other modules appear to be a composition of mass fabricators and power generators, but the entire design looks old as if it was made several years ago. Also, there appears to be crew quarters up there."

Bime nodded at Dias' assessment and Kevin kept looking between the two of them: "Ok, so it that good or bad?"

"We don't know any more than you do," answered Bime, becoming irritated with the torrent of questions. The Ensign thought about their predicament for a moment longer before nodding: "But that looks like an access ladder sticking from the rear. Take the wheel Kevin, I'm going in."

Bime readied a grappling hook pistol, but Dias immediately raised a hand: "I'll be going as well."

"I'd rather go in alone," answered Bime. The professor raised an eyebrow: "And what do you intend to do if no one opens the door when you reach the top? If there is a security lock to bypass then I can most likely do it. It's either me or one of the symbionts in the other transports. Which would you prefer?"

Bime sighed in exasperation; unsure which option was the worst.

**XXXXX**

Sather heard a groan to his right and spared a look towards his unplanned passenger: "Don't move. I managed to stop the bleeding, but any sudden movement could reopen the wound again."

The man's eyes opened wide at the sound of the artificial voice, but had difficulty focusing: "What? Where am I?"

"On the same transport that you were on when you got hit by a stray bullet," explained the Cybran with a cringe: "I plotted a course that should hopefully take us out of the quantum field."

The man closed his eyes and sighed in exasperation: "So I'm a prisoner… you won't get anything out of me."

The Cybran merely shrugged back, apparently unconcerned: "Joseph Scot, born on Markov Two twenty eight years ago and has never left the planet before now. You've been a system's administrator for the past six years and you like your coffee black."

Joseph managed to turn his head and look at the Cybran who only shrugged once more: "I've been spying on your colony and part of my mission was to assemble a profile on everyone."

"If you know that then you also know that I'm not privileged to any classified information," said Joseph between clenched teeth. He tried to sit straighter in his chair, but a wave of pain forced him back down: "So why am I still alive?"

Sather looked at Joseph, his facial circuitry now pulsing with soft red light: "I don't kill civilians. That and I needed your help to keep her warm."

The spy nodded towards Joseph's chest and the system's administrator looked down, noticing that the girl had been carefully placed along his unwounded arm. The two of them were wrapped in one of the emergency blankets. He also noticed that some snow had flown into the transport due to the a few broken windows. Those had probably been shattered during the pursuit.

"What's going to happen to us?" asked Joseph, a new trace of fear slipping into his voice as he considered his newfound responsibility towards the child. The Cybran looked away, ashamed to answer: "It will depend on who comes to rescue us. My node is not really meant to react to this kind of situation. We usually infiltrate a colony, make plans to take out its commander efficiently and then strike a deal with another node that we trust. That's how we operate in this war."

"So that you can kill us all and then infect the symbionts?" asked Joseph resentfully.

"So that we can defeat the commander with as few civilian casualties and free our people," corrected the spy harshly. The Cybran took a deep breath to calm himself before adding: "You're a system administrator… don't tell me that you did not notice how empty symbiont eyes are."

Joseph opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it shut. Like it or not, maintaining symbionts was part of his job and he had always known that something was really wrong with them. Sather used the silence to finish his explanation: "If the Cybran commander owes us a favor then maybe I'll be able to negotiate something. I could allow you to stay here with the transport so that you could wait for another rescue attempt."

A trace of guilt crossed the Cybran's features as he added: "If I can't do that then I promise to make it a painless and dignified death. If you have any family or loved ones then I could attempt to convey a last message to them later. It's the best that I can do."

Anger swelled in Joseph's chest, but looking at the Cybran's face, he could tell that he was being as merciful as he could: "You said me… what about her?"

"I know her file and she has no family left, so I'll take her with us," answered the Cybran without hesitation: "Even if I could let you go, your odds of survival would be slim, but she could stand to make a new life for herself with us. Children have a remarkable capability to adapt and she could have a chance to live, find happiness and maybe have children of her own one day. It's been done before."

Joseph snorted in contempt: "Just like the Aeons."

The spy grimaced: "Look… we're enemies and odds are depending on what ACU we find that either one or both of us will die. The UEF has done terrible things to us and we have returned the favor just as often. So let's agree on only one thing: no matter what conflict is between us and which one of us gets to die, she does not deserve the same fate."

Joseph gave it some thought, looked at the unconscious child on his chest and then nodded. It was at that exact moment that a missile connected with the rear of the transport and sent it flying in the air.

**XXXXX**

"Target… target neutralized," reported Reue softly, adding the statement to her daily logs: "I am moving to finish it."

Reue passed a gloved hand over her sweaty brows and moved her ACU forward. She had to complete her mission and that included scanning the civilian vehicles to confirm that the colonists were inside. The missile from her Evensong had knocked out the transport and she could tell even without her sensors that it had killed most of the passengers. Speaking her actions out loud somehow helped her carry forward even if it meant acknowledging the horror of her actions.

"They… they are Cybrans?" whispered Reue as she analyzed the data on her screen. The enhanced sensor had picked up the cybernetic life signs with perfect clarity, displaying the signatures of over thirty bodies which were either dead or dying. Somehow, the fact that they were brainless automatons helped eased her guilt, but that respite was short lived when the sensors distinguished two human life signs which included an adult and a child. She focused on them and the forms could be easily distinguished on her screen.

"Must I really kill them as well?" asked Reue, the words echoing in the cockpit. The Cybran on the seat next to them moved, reaching out towards the two humans. No doubt he was some kind of infiltrator since he was in the driver's seat and he would kill them before dying himself. When would the madness end?

**XXXXX**

Joseph felt intense pain and knew beyond any doubt that his shoulder wound had reopened. Even now, he could feel his own blood flowing down his arm. When he opened his eyes again, he saw an arm covered in blood reach towards him with a knife in hand. The knife sliced down and Joseph expected to die, but he realized a second later that he was not being attacked, but rather that the Cybran was cutting his seat belt.

"Go…" croaked the Cybran while struggling for breath. Joseph looked to his left and saw that his captor had not fared as well as he had. Parts of the frame from the transport had pierced the back of his seat and had impaled him. The sudden release in pressure told Joseph that his seat belt was cut and the Cybran dropped the knife to the ground, his hands shaking: "Get her out…"

"What about you?" asked Joseph reflexively, forgetting in that moment that they were supposed to be enemies.

The Cybran looked back at he twisted and broken bodies of the enslaved symbionts behind them before shaking his head: "We're done for… get her out… we agreed."

The spy's words trailed off as his head slowly dropped forward. He then stopped moving, having died in mid-sentence. Joseph was not thinking clearly due to the loss of blood, but he did as commanded; dragging himself out of the transport with the girl in his arm.

**XXXXX**

She had seen it. Reue's sensors did not allow her to hear what had transpired from this distance, but she had seen the Cybran help the two humans out of the transport. He was dead now, his body having cooled dramatically. Looking at the last two survivors, Reue could tell that they would not last much longer.

**XXXXX**

Each step that he took was a struggle to delay the inevitable. Joseph did not have to look at the trail of blood that he was leaving to know that he was dying. Even now, he could feel his heart beating frantically to compensate while his skin grew progressively colder. All of it did not matter as long the child that he was carrying was safe.

Joseph's train of thought was interrupted by a rhythmic trembling in the ground and soon, an Aeon ACU appeared through the fog in front of him. He fell to his knees, his legs no longer supporting him and he could not help but marvel at the machine's deadly beauty.

To his amazement it did not fire, but instead knelt down. The cockpit opened shortly afterwards and a pilot jumped out, walking the rest of the distance that separated them. She paused when she was but a step away and crouched. Joseph saw her clearly and noticed not only her beauty, but also the lines of stress that surrounded her eyes.

"Who is she?" asked the Aeon pilot. Her tone was gentle, almost as if she feared breaking the moment of peace that they shared. Joseph looked at the child in his arms and then back at her: "I don't know."

Joseph felt his heart quivering and he fell forward, the last shred of strength abandoning him. Firm but gentle hands caught him and lowered him to the ground.

"Then why?" asked the ACU pilot. Joseph's vision grew cloudy, but he still managed to answer, a smile tugging at his lips: "No matter the conflict… she does not deserve that fate."

Reue saw his last few breaths escape him and then he died in her arms. Her gaze was drawn to the child that he was carrying and she picked her up, marveling that she was still alive. There was a nasty bruise on her forehead, but aside from the signs of a nasty concussion, she appeared unharmed.

Her orders were explicit; she was to kill the colonists and that included the child. Looking back at the serene expression on the man's face, however, she could tell that he had died with a sense of peace, something that she had somehow lost along the way. It was at that moment that the simplest and easiest of notions struck her: the child deserved to live. The rules, oaths and obligations that governed her life as an ACU pilot evaporated before that simple truth. On impulse she kissed the child's forehead: "Thank you."

Reue returned to her ACU while carrying the child. The faces in the fog were still there, but she moved through them with her shoulders straight and her steps steady. The child deserved to live and she would allow nothing to stand in her way.

**XXXXX**

The door was a quarter of a meter thick with multiple locking mechanisms and different alloys meant to break down incoming enemy fire. The controls next to it suddenly lit up and the door squealed in protest as it slowly opened. Two men stumbled inside and came to a stop with their hands on their knees while catching their breath.

"I never climbed… so many ladders," said Dias between breaths. Bime tried to smile at the professor's comment, but he was tired as well. Somehow, all that paperwork that he had done back at their settlement in the past few months had not done him any good.

Both men looked around and saw that the spacious interior of the modified Fatboy had apparently not been used for years. The heating system was offline and a coating of frost covered every surface. The sight was made even more inhospitable when Bime pointed towards the wall: "Bullet holes."

"I don't see any traces of Aeon or Cybran firearms," observed the Professor as he gazed around the room: "This does not bode well for the crew. I'm still wondering why the door was unlocked."

Bime shrugged, having no answer himself: "Let's head to the bridge."

They made their way through the living quarters, taking care not to slip and looking around for signs that would explain what happened. It puzzled Bime as to why there were no bodies, but then he remembered that throwing them overboard must have been a piece of cake for whoever was left alive. The door leading to the bridge opened before them and Dias yelped as the frozen eyes of a UEF captain stared back at him. The man sat in the command chair, his gaze frozen in time and his head resting at an awkward angle. The reason for that was most likely the hole in his right temple and the gun that rested near his feet.

Bime moved towards the corpse and took in the scene before speaking: "Since he was the last one alive, I'd venture to say that he threw the bodies off the platform before blowing his own brains off. That would explain why all the doors were unlocked, but then why did this happen in the first place?"

The Ensign's gaze was then drawn down and his eyes widened: "Wait… it seems that his console is still active and his personal logs are ready to be played. Maybe we can finally find out what happened here."

The Ensign lifted the corpse's stiff hand high enough to press the button underneath. The screen behind the captain lit up and although the display had been damaged by the lack of maintenance, the image of the captain was still recognizable: "Captain's log, June eight 3823. Assembling the armored command platform took longer than expected, but at last we managed to do it and we were not detected by enemy units. The crew gated in an hour ago and is even now settling into their quarters. I expect us to enter the quantum field shortly and this will be the greatest exploration journey of our time. With any luck, we might actually find what we're looking for."

Bime looked at Dias who nodded at him and the Ensign pressed the button to play the next entry: "Captain's log, June twelfth 3823. The crew has been getting jumpy in the past few days and I have made accommodations by distributing more wine and playing a large library of soothing music. I have to admit that this fog is getting to me as well and it's amazing how much a vast expanse of nothing can affect us. The scientific members of the crew are trying to keep themselves busy by analyzing the geographical layouts of the planet."

A push of a button played the next entry: "Captain's log, June thirteenth 3823. The series of independent scanning bots that we keep deploying have discovered nothing new. The deep crust scans reveal the presence of impacts all over the planet as well as fossils which suggests that it once supported an abundance of life. Our first theory implied a meteor shower, but the chief scientist had his doubts, claiming that the damage was too consistent and equally proportioned and that it looked more like a bombing run. A bombing run on a planetary scale, now that's a laugh!"

Dias cut off Bime before he could play another log: "Independent scanning bots? It's usually forbidden to have any type of fully independent machine because of the risk of it being captured or corrupted. It might very well explain why no one was aware of any operation here. Still, I supposed that if you consider the limitations of the quantum field then such decisions were unavoidable."

Bime nodded and played another entry: "Captain's log, June fifteenth 3823. Our scanning bots have yet to find any trace of Seraphim tech and quite frankly, I'm beginning to have my doubts about many things. It occurs to me that deploying independent thinking units could very well be a new form of weapon. Imagine for a moment if, instead of deploying scanning bots, we deployed independent SCUs and waited at the right moment to activate them. An armored command platform could be secretly used on a world and given the task of building units anywhere such as the bottom of the sea. Like a crew of mine layers…"

When the next log was played, both men were startled by the Captain's haunted gaze: "Captain's log, June seventh 3823… we lost a crew member today. Major Carlson was out taking a breath of fresh air and somehow fell down the rail. He was crushed under our tracks and died instantly. Wild rumors concerning his death circulate and while I don't believe any of them, I am beginning to form my own theory. Despite doing everything in my power, every crew member has shown signs of depression, anxiety and some are growing hysteric. I've received multiple reports of crewmembers noticing faces in the fog. Normally I might have discarded them, but one thing nags at me: why was every crew member specifically selected with a highly stable mental profile? Did high command know what they were throwing us into or worse yet; is this merely some type of experiment as to how long we can last?"

Both men looked at each other and Bime nodded: "That would explain the nervous jitters that the other transports reported."

Dias crept closer to the screen: "It looks like those other logs are more erratic. Let's play them."

"Four more deaths today," said the Captain, apparently forgoing the protocol concerning log entries: "These are not mere accidents or people being negligent. Ensign Webler claimed that doctor Steinfeild deliberately grabbed a hold of that live wire after looking at it for several minutes. If this was a suicide then what prompted it? His personal profile was impeccable, so what could have caused such self-loathing? What really worries me, however, is a simple notion: why do I find myself so calm about these deaths? It's almost as if they were justified."

It was clear that the captain was no longer bothering to shave on the next entry: "I keep thinking of the geological surveys, the bombing theory and our mission to find Seraphim technology. What if they were all related? What if this world was somehow all that remained of a Seraphim battlefield? I know that Aeon propaganda credits the Seraphim for their so called Way and the peace that it brings. I don't believe that such a thing is possible, but what if they did? If a species was capable of such extremes of peace and love then could they also be capable of the other extreme once pushed to war? If one wished to avoid a war at all costs and yet was forced into it then would it not be better to end it quickly? We frown at concepts such as genocide and yet we are the ones stuck behind a thousand years of misery and death."

Both Bime and Dias gulped uneasily at the last entry and waited anxiously as the next one was played: "Members of my crew are even now shooting each other… good. We, as a race, do not have the right to exist. We destroy, kill and wage wars on a galactic scale while our people enjoy movies, pray or dabble in the latest technological wonder. This war will never end as it is in human nature to fight and it has become the very cornerstone of our society. They have told me so. Maybe I have lost my mind, but I do not doubt that something is influencing my actions. Maybe the Seraphim are not gone as we think they are or perhaps the echoes of their great battle still rings here. In the end, it matters not. Humanity is a plague on reality and one which has sustained its own aberrant existence long enough. It is time to end it, starting with you…"

Bime ran a hand through his hair: "For a second there, I thought that he was actually talking to…"

The image on the monitor grinned: "Yes, I am talking about you. Aeon, UEF or Cybran; you deserve the same fate as all the others. I knew that you would come and so you have. There were but one of three possible outcomes: this battle platform would be attacked, captured or infiltrated. Any of these scenarios would trigger the following program. I hope that you reached the same conclusions as we did and realized the futility of human existence. If not then be afraid; Judgment Day is upon you. Consider this a prelude of what is to come."

Multiple panels lit up as soon as the recording ended and the door leading to the bridge locked itself down. Bime ran towards it and tried to pry it open without any success. Meanwhile, Dias looked up, his attention on something else: "What's that sound?"

Outside the platform, the power generators hummed to life and sent waves of energy to the capacitors. Once they were fully charged, the entire power reserve was transferred through the transmission dish, sending a powerful electronic signal that spread as a wave through the quantum field.

**XXXXX**

"Looks like an older model from maybe five or six years ago," observed Arnold as he took a good look at the UEF SCU: "What is a support command unit doing here in the middle of nowhere?"

Samantha scanned it and frowned: "Looks like it got hit by a small meteor. Hardly enough to destroy it, but it was probably enough to knock out the pilot."

"There's one problem with that theory," said Arnold with a wince: "Try scanning the cockpit."

Samantha did so and her eyes widened in disbelief: "There isn't any! From what I can tell, it has been replaced by a power source. Maybe for extra firepower..."

No sooner had Samantha spoken the words that their transmission was filled with static and their instruments reported that a weak energy wave had traveled through the quantum field. Had they looked down at that moment, they would have seen the SCU's eyes lit up.

**Chapter 7 **

**Dreams and nightmares **

"What the…" said Arnold before he got his breath knocked out of him. His ACU had been looking up, its sensors analyzing the energy wave that had just passed over them. It had therefore stood unbalanced just as the autonomous SCU had lifted both arms and shot him at point blank range, sending him flying backwards. Samantha reacted instantly, using one hand to move her ACU so that the edge of her field generator would cover Arnold's machine while transmitting standard recognition codes with the other. The SCU ignored the command codes and fired again, both shots colliding solidly with her shields.

Not willing to hesitate any longer, Samantha aimed her laser at the enemy and fired an overloaded shot. The SCU exploded which caused her screen to darken automatically. When it lit up again, they stood in the middle of a three hundred meter crater with nearby tier two and three units destroyed.

"Now that really hurts," grumbled Arnold. Samantha saw him shake his head on her monitor and smiled briefly, relieved that he was all right. She quickly regained her composure before he could focus again and looked at her sensors: "The explosion damaged my shields by nearly twenty percent and destroyed every unit in the area."

"SCUs don't do that under normal circumstances," said Arnold as he noted the destruction that surrounded them: "And that explosion was strong enough to knock out Titans!"

Samantha nodded and keyed in the relevant data to her computer: "No doubt that power source which replaces the cockpit is set to detonate upon destruction. This doesn't make any sense!"

Arnold took stock of his damage and was relieved that the self-regenerating module of his ACU was still operational. Pulses of energy were already moving through the outer armor, temporarily weakening it so that it could be remolded in order to cover the damaged areas: "It makes sense to me. This type of weapon would be effective on just about any battlefield."

"No it doesn't, Zach," said Samantha with a frown: "The resources and time involved in the construction of either a SCU or an ACU far outweigh the benefits if it is destroyed. That's the very reason as to why we they are summoned on battlefields instead of built on the spot. No commander in his right mind would ever build such an army. It would take days and maybe even weeks."

Arnold's eyes widened as multiple signals were suddenly detected by their perimeter scouts: "Or years..."

**XXXXX**

"You have got to be kidding me. Just tell me that it's some kind of practical joke!" protested Bime. He kicked the door for good measure, but only managed to hurt his foot in the process. Dias moved towards the nearest console in the meantime and typed furiously.

Bime reached for his transmitter and opened a channel: "Kevin, do you read me? We're trapped in here by some crazy commander's idea of a practical joke. Do we still have that torch in transport seven? If we do then maybe a few of you could bring it up here and…"

"We don't have time," interrupted Dias suddenly. Under normal circumstances, Bime would have told the professor to shut up, but the tone of the Professor's voice betrayed his terror and he walked closer instead: "What do you mean? This command platform has some basic weapons and it has not fired on the transports yet so maybe civilian vehicles are not classified as priority targets."

"I'm looking at the primary command loop right now," said Dias while jabbing a finger towards the screen: "We just went from the seeding protocol to the uplink and soon we'll reach the attack one."

Bime ran a hand along his brow: "Care to translate?"

"The programming is pretty rudimentary, the kind that someone with only basic skills could accomplish," said Dias while reading the code a second time: "The seeding mode seems to be about the platform moving around and stopping every few hours to build some kind of independent unit which is then buried. The uplink mode works in two steps with the platform emitting a signal which will cause those units to either seek it out or attack nearby targets with a high enough threat factor. Once enough units are gathered, they will create a data uplink that will share information and go into an attack mode. They will then assign each target a priority which will include our transports."

"Can't you just hack it from here?" asked Bime urgently. Dias shook his head before the question was even finished: "It's not an ACU. The command platform is not controlling the manufactured units. It only activated them and will be used as an information center. Even if the platform is disabled, it will only hamper their global coordination and it would take hours for someone to get us out of here with a torch."

"Just what are you saying," asked Bime as a chill ran up his spine. Dias let go of the console and stood straight: "If the other refuges are to have any chance of survival then they must flee without us."

**XXXXX**

"There's no way that we're leaving you guys in there," protested Kevin loudly. The farmer nodded in determination as he added: "We'll fetch the torch and…"

The voice of the professor interrupted Kevin before he could finish his sentence: "The number of independent units converging on our position will increase exponentially. You won't have time to cut us out."

Kevin hesitated, having a hard time imagining the threat that the doctor was alluding too. Bime's voice came thought he transmitter then: "Kevin, we need you to get all the others out of here right now. They are counting on you."

The Ensign's voice shook Kevin out of his reverie, but he still hesitated: "But I'm just a farmer…"

"You care about your people, don't you?" asked Bime. The Ensign gave the farmer a few seconds to think it through before adding: "Then that's all you really need. We know you'll succeed."

Kevin hesitated a moment longer before sitting straighter and saluting: "I'm off then. It's been an honor."

He closed the channel and opened another one to all the other transports: "Ok everyone, the Fatboy is hostile and it's time to get out of here. Everyone follow me and put the pedal to the metal!"

**XXXXX**

A few minutes later, a signal appeared on Redfog's screen and he smiled under his mask: "There they are…"

The assassin's low voice brought Dostya's attention towards the front where one of their cloaked scouts had detected the UEF transports. They were moving at full speed back the way that they had come from which indicated that they were perhaps fleeing from a new threat. They just didn't know that they were moving towards something far worse.

Each commander's army automatically split up, leaving a clear path between the transports and the cloaked ACUs without either pilot saying a word. Dostya knew what she had to do and she had no doubt that Redfog would follow her lead. Although she did not understand the assassin, she was certain that he would allow her to succeed or fail on her own.

Both pilots waited at a reasonable distance from each other and by the time that the transport drivers noticed the tracks that had not been there a few minutes ago, it was already too late. Multiple flying construction assist drones disconnected from each ACU's back and flew towards the transports that held the symbionts. They fired as one, their assembling lasers easily melting through the transports thin hulls and killing the passengers that were not symbionts. It barely took two seconds, but the four transports that held the prisoners stopped, their guards, drivers and other passengers dead.

Dostya sighed in relief as her instruments confirmed that no symbiont had been harmed and focused her building laser on capturing each transport so that she could control them. Her relief was short lived, however, when she heard the shriek of Redfog's chest laser: "Don't!"

She turned around just as the laser fired, cutting through the snow a few dozen meters in front of the remaining transports and narrowly missing a buggy. Those immediately stopped in order to avoid the newly burned ditch and some even crashed into each other. She heard Redfog's voice afterwards and it was obvious that the transmission was on an open channel: "This convoy is now under our control and will follow us out of the quantum field. Deviation is not advisable…"

The tone of his voice left no doubt as to what he would do to anyone that would try to escape and if the presence of the ACUs was not enough then the returning Cybran army was an added incentive. Dostya waited until the assassin closed the channel before opening a private one: "What are you doing? We're here for the symbionts and we don't need the added burden."

"It's simple really; they are bait," said Redfog without any hesitation: "You still want to catch Arnold… don't you?"

**XXXXX**

The cockpit closed and every monitor came online instantly with updated data. Reue carefully strapped herself in, placing the seat belts over the child in a way so that she could be held in place against her chest but not bother her movements too much. She then plotted a course out of the quantum field, dedicating her every thoughts towards saving that girl.

The faces were still present in the fog and for a second, Reue thought that she had seen Marxon's uncompromising eyes. They had been furious at her for disobeying orders, betraying her oath as a knight and doubting her fate. Strangely enough, the apparition did not cause Reue to despair as she previously had and instead she felt something new: fury.

This was not the vile emotion that sustained those whose mind had been twisted, but the righteous fury of those that stood against what was wrong. The emotion became a tool, an armor and a weapon all at once, slashing through her doubts and through the apparitions that haunted her.

A groan reminded Reue of the child that was strapped to her chest and she looked down at her with a smile. Either her concussion was painful or the child was plagued by her own nightmares. There was nothing that Reue could do to alleviate her pain since her medical kit only had basic instruments and drugs, but maybe she could do something to alleviate her troubled soul.

Reue took a deep breath and hummed softly. The song had been taught to her when she had been a child under the UEF, but she had long ago forgotten the words. They did not matter, however, since she remembered the melody and soon her voice sang clearly through the cockpit. The child relaxed soon afterwards and a smile formed on her lips, a beacon of light shining brightly in the darkness.

**XXXXX**

Fifteen minutes had passed since the UEF transports had been captured. So far, none of those that were still piloted by humans had attempted to make a break for it and for good reasons. Surrounding them were scores of Vipers, Deceivers, Loyalists, Bangers and even a few Trebuchets. Redfog was walking amongst them as well, scanning each in turn and focusing his short range audio receptors. He had expected to find fear, terror and panic, but not in such high levels.

"Dead! We'd be better if we were all dead!"

"I'm scared, I'm so scared mommy!"

"I saw her face again in the fog, did anyone else see it?"

Redfog paused at that remark, intrigued by what it meant. He had heard at least fifteen other civilians mention similar sightings in the past few minutes and there were simply too many for it to be a coincidence. The assassin was experiencing similar visions as well, but since he could easily distinguish reality from fantasy then had paid it no thought up until now. After all, it had been quite possible that his AI had been malfunctioning or that some part of his mind had finally gone completely insane. The visions still did not trouble him, but the fact that so many others were suffering from similar symptoms implied something else: they were under attack.

A mere biological flaw or a chemical imbalance provoked by the quantum field should have had different results, but everyone that was affected had the same type of self-destructive visions. The assassin quickly opened a channel to Dostya and saw that she too was apparently suffering from severe psychological stress: "I'll be in passive mode for a few minutes. Warn me if there is a problem."

Redfog closed the channel before she could reply and shut down each of his monitors one at a time. He soon sat in complete darkness and the only sound was the constant thud as his ACU kept walking forward. The assassin folded his hands, closed his eyes and focused inward. Aeon commanders were taught meditative techniques to ease the mind and climb the first steps towards The Way. Redfog had been shown similar techniques, but had never adopted them, preferring to meditate in the same way that he lived.

He aggressively searched his own mind, seeking what was amiss, troubled or incomplete. Knowing one's self was an important part of any battle and the leader of the Assumpta node would accept nothing else than total mastery over his own mind. His anger grew when he found nothing and he intensified his search, slicing through long lost memories and tragic events of his past. All of them were known to him and fully accepted which explained why he could endure them, but there was something else, something that was akin to the memory of a fleeting dream holding at the edge of his awareness.

"You don't belong here," growled Redfog between clenched teeth, unwilling to accept that anything could intrude on his mind. The presence could not be tracked or identified and so he did the only thing that came to mind: he remembered. Every event, battle, death, wound, broken bone, torn limb and betrayal was replayed without skipping a single detail.

Each memory was relived, plucked from the shadowy recesses of his mind and fully exposed as Redfog claimed them again. Each was transformed into one less spot for the presence to hide in. Redfog could feel his own mind blazing like an inferno, a living hell where nothing other than his own consciousness was allowed to exist. He was drawing closer to the intruding presence and with each moment, he could discern a little more of it. It still did not have a form, but he could feel its fear now as he drew closer.

"You do not belong here!" growled Redfog, this time louder. This was his mind; the only place where none was allowed to intrude. It did not matter what the other presence was or how powerful it could be. In here, Redfog was everything! The presence fell away and disappeared with a psychic scream of utmost terror. The assassin waited a moment with his mind still blazing before finally allowing himself to calm down.

Redfog took a deep breath, stretched his neck and then opened his eyes. A flick of a switch brought up the exterior display and this time, there were no more faces in the fog. A quick check with his audio sensors showed that their prisoners were still suffering from the same symptoms, but he no longer cared about that. It was a personal war and he had achieved total victory. If they wanted to do the same then they would have to handle it themselves.

As for the presence itself, it did not matter what it had been. A ghost, a psychic echo, a neural feedback pulse caused by the quantum field; in the end, the only thing that mattered was that he had defeated it… and that it had learned the only truth of the moment: there was only a single living nightmare on Alpha Seven and it was him.

**XXXXX**

"Sam, duck!" shouted Arnold as he took aim in a hurry. He fired a tactical missile which narrowly missed Samantha's ACU and destroyed an enemy unit not too far ahead. The resulting explosion heavily damaged the two SCUs that it had been walking besides and a barrage of missiles from Samantha's flapjacks finished them off. There was no chance to celebrate, however, as another SCU came into range and opened fire.

"Strap down!" shouted Samantha. She aimed as she cried the order, making sure that Arnold and all nearby units were under her protective shielding before firing an overloaded shot. The resulting explosion blinded them temporarily and lowered her shields to forty percent.

"Recover," said Arnold as he sprung into motion, focusing his building laser in order to help recharge Samantha's shield. They were holding their own at the moment, but half of their army had been destroyed in the process and the enemy SCUs kept coming after them. Samantha estimated the time that it would take them to clear the quantum field and shook her head in desperation: "We can't make it out like this!"

With no options left, Samantha aimed her building laser at a nearby patch of ground and began constructing an air factory. Arnold noticed this and cursed under his breath: "Bombers won't stop those SCUs before they reach us, Sam."

Samantha was shaking her head before Arnold even finished his sentence: "I'm not building attack units; it's time for an evacuation."

Arnold's eyes widened as Samantha assisted with the construction of a pair of air transports: "Sam, if we go out of the quantum field without an army at our side and we're discovered by either Aeon or Cybran…"

"We already lost our army, Zach," cut in Samantha with a wince. Arnold was about to object, but then looked at the endless tide of enemies that were coming their way. They were defeated and they both knew it. Samantha quickly transferred the first transport to Arnold as soon as it was built and soon the two of them were off the ground and flying out of the quantum field as quickly as they could, leaving what was left of their army behind. Arnold looked at the ground as they flew, losing count of the sheer number of SCUs that had been converging on their position.

**XXXXX**

"Bagby I need…" said Keith as he opened the door. The commando stepped into the bar and stopped in his tracks, stunned by the sheer level of destruction. Broken tables and chairs, sparking electric wires, flashing monitors and broken bottles were strayed all over. One of the walls at the rear of the bar was missing with no clue as to what had torn it off. The commando stepped carefully through the cataclysmic display: "What the heck happened here?"

A mumble to his left caught Keith's attention and he saw a boy sprawled over a table with a bottle in hand. He was covered in bruises, but an enigmatic smile was stamped on his face. It still amazed the commando that youths could get drunk so young at the Red Skull node.

Something shifted just out of the corner of Keith's eye and he saw a hand beckoning him forward from behind the bar. He made his way over, reaching it with a few quick steps: "Bagby?"

The old SCU pilot suddenly sprang from behind the bar, grabbed Keith by his vest and pulled him over to his side. The commando was cursing as he fell on the floor hard: "What the hell are you doing?"

"Saving your hide, that's what!" whispered Bagby back urgently. Combat reflexes automatically took over as Keith shifted into a tense crouch and whispered: "Did we get invaded? I knew from the looks of the bar that this was no typical brawl. So what caused it?'

"He did," said Bagby while nodding forward. Keith quickly looked over the bar, but there was no one in the direction that Bagby was pointing to except the boy that was sprawled on the table: "I don't see anything besides a boy."

Bagby nodded vigorously, wiping sweat from his brows: "He's like some kind of powered up energy bunny from hell! I'm telling you the next time that I get a special request to cure someone out of his machine complex then it's going to take a whole lot more booze."

Keith sighted and got back to his feet despite Bagby's protests: "Look, I don't have time for this; Dostya's in trouble."

"She's on a mission with even odds! It's a lot safer out there then in here!" protested Bagby urgently. The old SCU pilot tried to grab Keith, but the commando shook him off: "I received news; Hex-Five returned without her…"

"So she's going to have to be creative," said Bagby dismissively: "Hex-Five was probably just a dead weight and it's not the first time that she's alone. I'm sure that she can…"

Keith grabbed a hold of one of Bagby's flailing arms and tried to pull him up: "She's with Redfog."

"What!" cried the old SCU pilot while jumping to his feet. The sudden motion almost made Keith fall on his back even as Bagby grabbed a hold of his flight suit and shook him: "You're telling me my girl is out there alone with that maniac?"

The sound of a bottle crashing made Bagby twirl around in a fighting stance, but the boy's bottle had merely crashed to the ground.

The unexpected reprieve allowed Keith to pull his uniform back into place even as he finished his explanation: "Look, I have an ACU pilot that owes me a favor ready to go look for them, but I'd feel safer with an experienced SCU pilot at the ready. If you could just…"

Without warning, Bagby grabbed a hold of Keith again and dragged him around the bar and towards the back room. There he accessed a console and opened a transmission. At first Keith thought that he was about to get his SCU ready. His mouth fell open when a dozen faces appeared through a conference call, each belonging to an ACU pilot with half of them having been awakened in their beds.

"What the…" protested one of the pilots as he gazed around. He then looked at the old pilot and shook his head: "Bagby, do you know what time it is?

"Shut up, dress up, pack up and get to your ACUs. We're going after Dostya," ordered Bagby harshly. The pilots looked at each other questioningly and only one dared to speak: "Um… listen we can't just…"

"Boy… I'm the one and only Bagby here, get it?" cut in Bagby with a voice that broke no compromise: "If you're thinking of telling me that I can't go get my girl then you'd better think again. Otherwise, I'm going to do something so nasty that even I don't know what it will be. Understand? And bring that new toy schematic with you too!"

For a second, it looked like one or two other pilots would protest, but apparently they thought better of it and merely nodded. Bagby motioned for Keith to be quiet and made his way back into the bar, moving stealthily through the disaster in order not to wake the boy.

The two of them moved through the torn wall and Keith gasped when he saw an SCU sprawled in the middle of the street: "What the heck is that doing here?"

Bagby jumped on the SCU and moved towards the cockpit: "I told you: powered up energy bunny from hell!"

**Chapter 8 **

**Freedom of choice **

Samantha looked at the estimated distance before they would be out of the quantum field and mouthed a silent prayer. If they stumbled on either a Cybran or Aeon army then they would be toast. A decent flight of fighters could easily catch and destroy their transports, leaving them stranded and without a base or economy. She could only hope that somehow, the SCU drones had discovered their enemies and that they were keeping them busy.

The fog from the quantum field suddenly dissipated and Samantha was momentarily blinded by the sunlight. When her vision cleared, she was surprised to see that her instruments detected nothing; no drones and no Cybran or Aeon commander. She made a second check before opening a channel to Arnold: "We did it Zach; and no one's around!"

Arnold's transport burst ahead of her, laying a course for the remains of their previous base: "That's great, Sam, but let's keep in mind that those SCUs are probably still chasing us and it will take them probably six to seven minutes tops to catch up to us. We'd better get started."

Samantha nodded and plotted a course towards Arnold's position. The foundation of their base was set in less than a minute thanks to Samantha's engineering suit and they rushed up the technology tree as quickly as they could. Five minutes later, three waves of bombers welcomed the first SCU that stepped out of the quantum field.

**XXXXX**

Dostya felt a great weight lift from her shoulders as soon as they left the quantum field and she sighed in relief. A quick look at her sensors showed that there were no enemy units in range, but the flashes of light in the distance suggested that a battle was raging on. It would only be a matter of time before they were detected and although their armies were intact, the only way to sustain more than one or two assaults was to establish a base.

"Two enemy signals detected south of our position," warned Redfog a moment later: "They managed to spot my scouts despite their cloaking field. Judging by their speed, I would say that they are a pair of SCUs."

Dostya cursed under her breath and brought up her units selection interface: "I'll locate a suitable site and establish a base. I'm transferring my Vipers to your army so that you can do some hit and run in the meantime."

Redfog nodded and went to work, combining missile launchers with scouts to attack the SCUs while remaining out of range. Dostya watched the exchange while constructing her base, fascinated as to how Redfog moved his army with an impressive amount of micro managing skills while getting his ACU in the proper angle. Redfog's command unit was almost at the right range to make use of its deadly microwave laser, but it suddenly stopped and reversed course: "Something's wrong."

"I saw it," said Dostya, recognizing the signs herself: "These SCUs are following your Vipers around like mindless automatons without realizing that they can't catch up to them. No human pilot would make a mistake like that and it almost looks like they are suffering from a heavy case of machine complex."

Redfog nodded and moved out of range, letting his Vipers weave a dance through the field while pummeling their enemies with missiles. It took a minute longer to destroy one of the SCUs and although there were no units in visual range, the resulting explosion was hard to miss.

"Interesting," said Redfog. Dostya nodded in agreement, but focused on her work: "Agreed, but we'll have to solve the mystery another time. I'm transferring part of my economic structures to you now. I'll focus on building the gate nexus while you take care of distracting our enemies. I'm reestablishing my link with QAI..."

**XXXXX**

"Irregularity detected at the Red Skull Node," said QAI, his warning echoing through the room. Doctor Brackman raised an eyebrow, the hint of a smile appearing on his lips: "I would have been slightly disappointed if there was not, QAI. That boy is full of promise, oh yes!"

"Clarification: twelve ACUs and seven SCUs have just activated and linked together," said QAI, its digital eye twirling to emphasize the urgency of the situation. Doctor Brackman's smile disappeared and he took a step forward: "That is a bit too much of an overkill to cure a machine complex. I take it that gates are powering up as we speak? What is their destination?"

"Alpha Seven," confirmed the artificial intelligence while switching the main view screen to show a map of the galaxy: "Shall I intervene?"

The Doctor quickly shook his head: "No, no, I think I have a clear picture of what is happening. Once he sets his mind to it, there is no power in the galaxy that can stop Bagby from doing something crazy."

An icon suddenly lit up, indicating that an ACU had just reestablished its connection with QAI. Doctor Brackman's fleeting smile reappeared as he added: "On second thought, maybe there is one person that can."

**XXXXX**

Bagby climbed on top of his SCU and faced all of the other pilots that had answered his call. They were in the gate complex not too far away from the Red Skull Node and technicians were scrambling frantically below them to charge the portals. The old pilot puffed up his chest before shouting over the tumult: "Listen up you bunch of two bit good for nothing ASCIIs!"

The few technicians that had never seen or heard of Bagby gasped while the others had mixed reactions from smirking to groaning. The old pilot went on regardless: "We're going to get my girl back and her name's Dostya for those that have not figured it out yet. She's out there all alone with nothing but an Assumpta psycho as backup and I won't stand for it."

Bagby glared at each pilot warningly for a second as he added: "For those that have not met her then this is your one and only chance to make a good first impression on me because no one's going to date her without my permission, got it?"

A few pilots exchanged nervous or confused glances. Bagby let his words sink in a few seconds longer before lifting a first into the air: "Now if you see a man, kill the man! If you see a god, kill the god! If you see an Aeon ACU then ride her like there's no tomorrow and then…"

"Bagby!" came a shout through the hangar's speakers. The interruption startled the old pilot who nearly fell off his SCU. He turned around and galactic map on the giant tactical screen was replaced by Dostya's glaring face. Bagby winced for a second, but then threw a beaming smile: "D! You're ok!"

"What the heck are you doing?" asked Dostya irritably: "You know we're not supposed to have so many pilots show up in a single battle. It might give the UEF the right impression as to how large our army is!"

Bagby looked around for some form of support from the other pilots, but while they were not willing to argue with him, they did not want to argue with Dostya either. The old pilot scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment as he spoke: "Well, when I heard about you being alone out there except for Redsoup, I thought we could come and rescue… I mean assist… I mean just watch the show, you know?"

"Everything's fine here, Bagby," said Dostya, her features softening, but only for a split second: "We're prepping the necessary infrastructures to come home so just cancel that vacation trip. As for Redfog, he and I have an… understanding."

Bagby looked at his feet, seeming almost like a schoolboy who had just been grounded: "But I had the pilots… the guns… even a few music files that would have mixed well while that Scathis thing went bang, bang and such. I had a few clever puns too that I thought out a minute ago."

"And I promise that we'll use them next time, ok?" assured Dostya, her gaze hardening again: "But right now I'm actually trying to get us off Alpha Seven and not on it. Dostya out."

The display was replaced by the tactical screen again. Bagby turned around and cleared his throat before speaking: "Well you heard the lady; move along, nothing to see here. Go back to bed or go get a drink or something."

The pilots moved out of their war machines and one of them snickered: "Fat chance of that after Bagby blew up the bar."

Bagby rolled his eyes and extended both hands towards the ceiling: "It was that boy, I tell you!"

**XXXXX**

They sat with their backs to the wall while holding their hands under their armpits to keep them warm. They had been sitting there for the past half hour, but it was obvious by now that no one would come to their rescue. Bime looked at the professor to his left and nodded: "I did not think that you had it in you."

Dias looked at him briefly, a shudder running through his entire body: "What do you mean?"

"When we got trapped in here, you were the first one to suggest that the others leave without us," clarified Bime while doing an effort to keep his voice steady: "I always figured you for someone that only cared about his symbionts and his research. I guess I owe you an apology."

Dias exhaled into his hands a few times to warm them before putting them back under his armpits: "Most soldiers want to protect their people now while a researcher hopes that his work will save them in the future. Any way that you look at it, we're both doing what we can to save the same people, right?"

"Yeah, one thing still puzzles me though," said Bime as he looked around the room: "Who would have been dumb enough to create a research platform that cannot communicate its findings?"

Dias paused and gave it some thought. The professor then jumped to his feet and headed towards a console: "You're a genius!"

"Thanks, but did the definition of genius change in the last five minutes?" asked Bime in confusion.

Dias ignored the remark and started typing furiously: "All of the station's commands have been locked out, but I forgot to check the communication's systems. The platform acts as a coordination center for every independent unit out there as they relay the signal between each other. It might actually be possible to transmit a signal through these units and reach the exterior of the quantum field. Let's hope that the signal is strong enough to reach the quantum network."

**XXXXX**

"Sir, communications have been reestablished with the team on Alpha Seven," said a technician while his fingers moved in a blur over his console: "I'm updating the tactical screen now."

Riley walked stepped on the raised platform in the middle of the command center and looked at the screen. Samantha and Arnold's ACUs were clearly identified and so were the dozens of units attacking them: "Confirm the nature of the enemy."

The technicians hesitated before answering: "General, they look like old models of UEF SCUs. Their self-destruct signatures are off the charts, but the data relayed by Colonel Clarke's ACU suggests that there have no pilots."

Data suddenly appeared on the main screen, forwarded to them by the dozens of symbionts who were operating in the command center. The technician read the report and nodded: "Symbiont analysis suggests a seventy percent probability that they are being controlled by a Cybran with a predictable attack pattern. We should have the most effective defense plans computed in the next two minutes."

Riley nodded slowly, his features locked behind an emotionless mask: "We'll classify the incident as Cybrans having captured outdated UEF technology. I want a full evaluation of the situation ASAP."

"Sir, we have an unknown signal coming in from Alpha Seven with an old but still valid high level encryption signature," said another Analyst to his right.

Riley's eyes widened in surprise and he cleared his throat: "Reroute it to my ready room."

Without any other explanation, he made his way to his office, locked the door and activated his personal computer. He then entered the decryption key and the faces of one scientist and one ensign appeared on screen: "We did it! General, we're trapped in some kind of experimental Fatboy in the middle of the quantum field. We don't know where the other refugees are, but they should be out by now. We need help!"

Riley let the breach in etiquette slide and smiled reassuringly: "Well done gentlemen. Here is what I want you to do…"

**XXXXX**

Arnold completed his personal shield upgrade and then sighed in relief, feeling secured that he would not die in a single hit should an SCU sneak up on him: "How's that gate nexus coming, Sam?"

"It will be done soon, Zach, but Earthcom wants us to stay in place and build a Mavor," said Samantha, the tone of her voice making it clear that she did not like the idea: "Their reasoning is that the SCUs are probably interfering with Aeon and Cybran forces in the area as well and that they won't be able to mount a successful offensive."

Arnold winced, but nodded: "I guess they're right, but I hate long plans like that. I'll just send a spy plane around to see what's out there just in case."

"Negative," said Samantha while raising a finger: "Earthcom says that we should build an Omni sensor and…"

Arnold rolled his eyes and interrupted her: "I'm the one piloting this ACU, not Earthcom. I'll take an advice when I want it, but if they want to order all my moves then they can get over here and dodge the bullets themselves."

Arnold ignored any further objection and sent the spy plane towards one of the other dense mass points. A minute later, he was rewarded with the sight of a Cybran base which was also under attack: "Guess Earthcom was right after all. It seems no one is actually controlling those SCUs but… oh no."

"What is it?" asked Samantha, curious as to what Arnold had discovered.

Arnold recorded a few more images and forwarded them before his spy plane was shot out of the sky: "It's the refugees; the Cybrans have them."

**XXXXX**

Redfog watched the UEF spy plane explode above him and knew that it had spotted the refugee transports. The bait was now in play, but how to make use of it? The number of enemy SCUs moving out of the quantum field was increasing constantly and it would make it hard if not impossible to deploy an army against the UEF under those conditions. They could use the refugees as a shield of course, but it was also possible that the UEF would eventually build a Mavor and then nothing would stop them.

"Time to force their hand," whispered Redfog to himself as he opened a channel towards the refugee buggy. The face of a scared civilian appeared on his screen and Redfog glared at him menacingly: "We have no interested in civilians. There is a UEF base west of our position and you and the others may yet live if you reach it quickly enough."

"You expect us to ride through those SCUs attacking your base?" asked the civilian, his eyes widening in disbelief: "Are you crazy?"

Redfog smiled under his mask: "Our west side is not under any pressure at the moment and we'll leave without you anyway. If the explosions from our power generators don't kill you then those SCUs will once our turrets are gone. Choose wisely."

With that, the assassin closed the transmission and his efforts were rewarded a moment later when the refugee transports made a dash out of their base. Redfog immediately loaded a few deceivers and engineers aboard a transport and sent them west in order to build a stealth tactical missile launcher base.

"Redfog what are you doing?" asked Dostya a moment later: "The refugees are escaping!"

Redfog looked at Dostya and shrugged: "I'm handing you Arnold on a silver platter."

Dostya looked at the tactical screen: "But going that way is suicide!"

"I told them that heading in that direction would lead them to the UEF base," said Redfog with a shrug: "I simply neglected to mention that there was a river blocking their way…"

**XXXXX**

The quantum beam generator hummed to life, sending a ray of pure energy crashing straight to the ground and melting the SCU in moments. The Czar immediately carried on, melting the other two that had been moving towards the newly built Aeon base. Reue looked away from the explosion and instead focused on her nearly completed quantum gate. It would only take her a few minutes to charge it once it was completed. She only needed to transport her ACU so there was no need to build a complex in order to absorb the quantum wake.

Reue did not know who or what controlled the SCUs that attacked her, but soon she would be back to Seraphim two and judging by the constant battle on the horizon then neither UEF nor Cybran forces would be in a position to stop her.

"Mommy…" came the unexpected whimper. Reue looked down at the groaning child in her arms and felt a mixture of emotions wash through her. On one hand, she was glad that she was apparently recovering. On the other hand, the simple word brought the notion of her family and if they were still alive with the other refugees. It would be impossible to return the child now, but maybe if she ascertained their fate then the child could find comfort later in her life.

Reue sent a spy plane north of her position while hoping that the other refugees were perhaps waiting safely in the UEF base. She plotted a course so that the plane would pass between both enemy bases and then try to fly along their northern perimeter where their defenses would be lightest. She gasped when her spy plane stumbled on the refugees alongside the river and it was obvious that they were stuck.

A green light appeared on her console and she pressed a button, listening in to a message that was being broadcasted on all channels: "Please help us! We can't cross the river and those SCUs are not far away. There are over six hundred refugees from Markov Two with us. Please, we need help!"

The Aeon commander looked from the child to her screen repeatedly. What was she supposed to do?

**XXXXX**

"It's a trap!" warned Samantha instantly the moment that the intercepted the civilian transmission: "We can't help them."

Arnold slammed a fist in his console and loaded a pair of Titans on a transport: "To hell we can't! I'm not standing by while over six hundred civilians die!"

The transport took off in the direction of the refugees, but it was shot down by a wing of stealth Gemini fighters just as it was nearing the river. Arnold cursed loudly and ignored Samanth's stern face on his monitor: "The Cybrans established air superiority over that sector so we can't airlift them out. The only way to reach them securely would be turret crawl our way over and by the time that we did that then the refugees would surely be killed by the SCUs. We can't save them, Zach!"

Arnold gathered all of his ground units near him and ordered them in formation: "I can do it if I head there myself. I'll rush over, move through the bottom of the river and make a shielded base with anti-air coverage on the other side. Once that's done, we can airlift them out!"

"The Cybrans are hoping specifically for that and they will assassinate you!" warned Samantha insistently. Arnold ignored the logic and marched ahead: "Just hold the fortSam, I'm going in."

"Fall back immediately Commander Arnold," said Samantha harshly: "That's an order!"

Gone was Samantha's pleasant mood, replaced instead by a tone of steel that would accept no compromise. Arnold was suddenly reminded that he was not fighting besides Desjar; he was not fighting alongside of a friend. He closed his eyes, remembering all the visions of betrayal that he had recently experienced in the quantum field and that he had not shared with Samantha in order to protect her. The visions were gone, but the nightmare had become reality.

"Commander Arnold, respond!" ordered Samantha with the same uncompromising tone, but Arnold did not open his eyes, refusing to even look at her. A sneer twisted his face as he simply said: "Screw you…"

"Zach I…" said Samantha, her words trailing off. Maybe she had realized that she had crossed a line or maybe it was just another tactic to get him to obey. Arnold simply did not care anymore: "Screw you! I thought you were different, but you're just like Riley! You want to know what's wrong with this stupid war? It's people like you who fight without knowing why anymore!"

Samantha shrunk away from him, but Arnold pressed on regardless: "You might think that it's impossible, but I've won similar fights before and I'll do it again. Maybe I'll die trying one day, but at least when I'll look back then I won't regret doing what's right and not what's easier!"

Arnold closed the channel before Samantha could reply and charged alone. Samantha simply sat motionless in her ACU, unable to cope with what had just happened: "Oh Zach…"

**XXXXX**

"They won't try to save them," insisted Dostya, her concern for the civilians growing with each passing moment: "They have to know that it's a trap!"

Redfog ignored Dostya's protests and focused on his tactical screen: "I have seen men like Arnold before… he'll come. They are men torn between the lies of the system that binds them and their own principles. He will lead the assault himself and do everything in his power to save them."

"If you kill him while he tries to save the civilians then the resulting explosion would kill them all," insisted Dostya, her tone growing harsh: "There are over six hundred civilians out there!"

Again the assassin shrugged, apparently unconcerned: "I won't kill them."

A light on Dostya's screen indicated that the stealth tactical missile base that Redfog had just built had been transferred to her and that it was ready to fire: "You will have to decide that for yourself."

Dostya felt her heart skip a beat and she looked around, half expecting to see the assassin ACU with its microwave laser focused on her, but he was nowhere around: "What kind of game is this? Are you testing me?"

"No game… no test… no threat," said Redfog dramatically: "You decided that your first priority was the symbionts and that goal is accomplished. The first transport is ready to enter the gate and all of them will be evacuated soon."

Dostya looked towards the quantum gate even as the assassin spoke. The symbionts would be off the planet momentarily and there was nothing that their enemies could do to stop them. Redfog let that realization sink in before speaking again: "With that out of the way, you are free to indulge in personal goals and right now, that means Arnold; the man involved in Mather's death. Using the refugees like this is the only way that we have to get a shot at him, but it comes with the price of over six hundred 'innocent' lives."

The assassin folded his hands in front of him: "Arnold wronged you and if vengeance must come into play then you are the rightful one to carry it out. The choice is yours…"

**XXXXX**

Arnold charged furiously forward with his entire army in his wake and waves of bombers and gunships trying to take care of the SCUs before they got too close. Deep down he was furious at Samantha, but there was no time to think about her now. Desjar would have objected as well, but he would have followed him regardless. They would have fought side by side through the end; cheering and cursing together… like brothers. Now he was alone, truly and completely alone.

A signal suddenly appeared on Arnold's radar and he gasped when he saw an Aeon Czar not too far away. It hovered ominously; a floating citadel of death. Arnold did not have the forces to stop it in time and he was not fast enough to get away. He thought everything was over until the Czar opened fire, destroying a trio of SCUs that had been converging on his position. It hovered on a course parallel to Arnold's army, stopping the SCUS efficiently and giving his forces the help that he desperately needed.

"Why are you assisting me?" grumbled Arnold under his breath: "Are you going to help until the refugees are out of danger and then kill me afterwards? Fine… I can work with that. You guys are probably all crazy, but at least you have your priority straight."

Arnold half considered opening a channel to thank the Aeon commander, but refrained from doing so. He might get away with disobeying a direct order, but contacting an Aeon commander like that would earn him a life sentence in jail.

**XXXXX**

"General Riley the situation on Alpha Seven is deteriorating," reported the analyst: "We could use you in the commander center."

Riley quickly pressed a button: "I'm leaving you in command for now. I have a situation to take care of here."

He closed the channel immediately and returned his attention to the other channel: "Professor Dias and ensign Bime, as you can guess the situation is dire. I will need the two of you to follow my instructions to the letter if we are to save everyone, do you understand?"

Both men nodded and Riley spoke quickly: "The platform that you are currently on was a secret research project and a weapon as well. It coordinates the actions of the SCUs that are currently attacking our forces. The SCUs will still function without it, but if we can remove it from the equation then they will be easier to destroy."

"But sir, we're aboard the platform and we have no other means of escape," said Bime with a wince: "If we somehow disable it then we'll be stuck here."

Riley smiled reassuringly: "Do not worry; there is a code designed to cause a system wide reset. You will lose the link with the SCUs but you will be able to operate the platform afterwards and escape the quantum field. The system reset will erase all the research data, however, so we need you to transmit everything that you can first. I'm opening a secured data link to you now and I need you to accept the connection so that we can begin the upload."

Both men nodded and soon the connection was established. It took less than four minutes for most of the research data to be transmitted. Riley was disappointed by the small amount of data, but did not let it show on his face: "I'm sending you the reset codes now. Input them quickly before the SCUs do any more damage."

Bime entered the codes and a confirmation screen appeared. His finger moved over the button, but he paused: "I never heard of an experimental with system wide reset code before…"

"The platform housed some of our top scientists," explained Riley quickly: "They had to have a way to reset the weapon should it run out of control."

Riley saw that the Ensign was still hesitating and his voice suddenly grew louder: "Every moment that we delay is one more where all the other refugees are in peril. Do it, that's an order!"

Bime hesitated a second longer before pressing the button. The confirmation screen disappeared and was instead replaced with a thirty second countdown. Red lights flashed through the bridge and a voice came through the microphone: "Self-destruct system activated."

"I'm sorry gentlemen, but there was no other way to efficiently disable the platform," said Riley when both men turned panicked gazes back on him: "Have faith that your sacrifice today might not only save the refugees, but also thousands of lives in the future. You will be remembered as heroes."

Riley nodded one last time and then closed the channel.

**Chapter 9 **

**No regret **

Dostya watched the UEF ACU disappear from her radar as it plunged in the river and she knew that she was almost out of time. She had to make a choice; let Arnold go or kill him. Depending on her timing, the explosion from his ACU could kill hundreds of civilians.

The problem was not killing an ACU pilot nor the civilians; she had done both in the past and although she did not enjoy any form of collateral damage, she had accepted that trying to avoid it entirely would cost Cybran lives in the end. The source of her indecision was because of the man himself. On one hand, she had personal reasons to hate him and yet she could not help but admire the fact that he was willingly throwing himself in a trap to save his people. It would have been easier if she had been fighting a perfect stranger.

"Redfog, your engineers are still operational at the site where you built those tactical missile launchers correct?" asked Dostya suddenly, a new plan forming in her mind. The assassin nodded and Dostya turned her attention towards the area: "Then transfer them to me. I want to kill him in a single salvo."

The assassin's face remained impassive on her screen as he transferred the units. Dostya immediately went to work, doubling the numbers of tactical missile launchers.

**XXXXX**

"Damn it, Zach, you're going to die!" said Samantha, speaking the words out loud as if doing so would force the other ACU to turn back. Arnold had closed all communications, however, and kept moving forward, too stubborn to heed the dangers that awaited him.

A quick look at her tactical overlay showed that her base was holding against the constant waves of SCUs that were assaulting it, but it would not take much to turn the tide. Samantha quickly selected eight broadswords and grouped them together. She knew that there had to be some kind of stealth staging point somewhere around the refugees, but she had no units that she could sacrifice to make that search. She would have to wait for the first attack to be made before mounting a counter.

Her gaze shifted to her tactical screen again and fixed the Czar that was hovering not too far away from Arnold like some guardian angel. No amount of broadswords could stop it in time should it decide to attack him. The question that plagued Samantha's mind was why didn't it?

**XXXXX**

Riley left the confines of his ready room and stepped back in the command center: "Report."

"The refugees have been located at these coordinates, sir," reported an Analyst anxiously: "They are trapped and Colonel Arnold is proceeding towards them despite direct orders to remain at his base. Our symbionts calculate that there is an eighty percent probability that this is a trap."

Riley sat in his chair and his gaze shifted between Samantha and Arnold's ACUs. No matter who was the best pilot, there was no question that Samantha was a better soldier. Maybe Arnold would become the better martyr.

**XXXXX**

Reue was in direct control of the Czar and she sent it forward, crossing the river and coming upon the other side just as the UEF ACU emerged from the icy waters. Scores of Gemini fighters rushed at the experimental while firing missiles, damaging its outer ring. The experimental weapon fired its own zealot missiles which forced the superiority fighters to retreat.

The first wave had been pushed back, but it would not be long before another would show up with even greater numbers. Reue had not fought Cybrans often in her life, but she could see that a trap had indeed been laid out for the UEF pilot. She would have liked nothing better than to send a few more units to defend the position, but her base defenses were weakening from the constant SCU onslaught and she could not spare them. There was only one last thing that she could do to help and she quickly opened a channel on all frequencies.

"I am Reue, a Knight of the Aeon Illuminate," said the pilot softly: "I was one of those that led the attack on Markov Two and my mission on Alpha Seven was to find and destroy those that escaped…"

Reue took a deep breath to steady her nerves: "During my mission, I witnessed a chain of selfless acts: a Cybran operative freed a UEF citizen with his dying breath and that same man, despite grievous injuries, ran away with this girl in his arms to protect her… from me."

"It is true that wars can continue indefinitely," said Reue sadly: "But maybe the only way to stop them is with acts of mercy. So I plead to every commander on Alpha Seven to set aside their differences only for a moment and allow the refugees from Markov Two to return home."

No one answered her transmission, but there was no further attack. The UEF ACU had just built a shield generator and air transports were landing within its safety and grabbing the civilian vehicles.

"Thank you," said Reue with a sincere smile. It vanished when a wave of missiles suddenly appeared on her screen.

**XXXXX**

"We owe you one, man," said Kevin. A magnetic beam interrupted him as his buggy was lifted off the ground and clamped on the transport. His group was the last one to leave and soon they would all be safe back at the UEF base. The ACU pilot's face appeared on Kevin's screen, but did not bother to look at him, the pilot being obviously busy: "Avoid touching any electrical piece of hardware when you reach the shield. Civilian vehicles were not meant to cross those."

The air transport took off in a hurry and Kevin reflexively closed his eyes, his hands grasping the wheel as if he was aboard a dangerous rollercoaster. Waves of what felt like intense static electricity washed over him as they crossed the shields and Kevin was amazed to find half of his hair standing on end when he opened his eyes. They were finally free and he could see an empty transport make its way back towards the river to pick up their rescuer.

Kevin looked behind him and was about to cry in joy, but then he saw a wave of missiles flying towards the ACU. The first salvo connected solidly with the shields and brought them offline in a heartbeat. The second salvo which had been trailing the first one barely two seconds later found the ACU. Kevin closed his eyes, but could not block out the sound of the explosion.

**XXXXX**

"No!" cried Samantha. She still had the presence of mind to send her broadswords north towards the direction where the missiles had come from. The explosion had been huge, but Arnold's ACU had not been destroyed. She could still pick up an erratic signature coming from the site, but it no longer conveyed the identification codes or the pilot's life signs.

**XXXXX**

The attack had been executed perfectly to disable the shield and destroy the ACU in one swift move. Dostya had only benefited from enough time to load a single missile per launcher and Arnold had somehow managed to survive the attack. It was Redfog who provided the explanation: "It's the ACU's self-improvement routine. No doubt the ACU's software managed to adapt the battle data of its numerous fights on Alpha Seven and shift some power to increase its hull integrity."

The assassin raised an eyebrow as something appeared on his sensors: "I'm detecting a group of broadswords converging on the stealth base."

Dostya saw the Gemini fighters move to intercept, but also knew that they would not stop them before they managed to destroy the expansion. She quickly took control of the base's engineer and focused all of their efforts on a single tactical missile launcher. The Aeon commander was still transmitting on all frequencies and it was obvious that she was in shock: "Why?"

"I might spare the civilians," muttered Dostya to herself as she locked on to the ACU's last known coordinates. The broadswords came into range and attacked the base just as she pressed the launch button: "But I won't do the same for a weapon or the one wielding it."

There was a short delay before the missile was launched and it flew in a straight line up. Two seconds later, it fired its maneuvering thrusters and made a quick turn towards the last coordinates of the UEF ACU. Dostya could see her opponent on her sensors and he had not moved since the initial attack. An armored command unit could take a severe beating especially when shielded, but the pilot himself had limits. Her initial salvo had most likely knocked out Arnold and he would not even see the last missile coming.

"This time, I'll make sure that you're dead," said Dostya, her fingers flying over the controls to access the missile's nose camera. She saw the distorted image and the numbers count down as the missile flew towards its target. Dostya felt her heart quicken as the missile closed in, but then a homogenous shape suddenly blocked the missile's path. She gasped when she realized that the shape in question was the Czar which was now flying at a precarious angle.

The tactical missile collided with it and exploded, destroying half of the platform's generators and sending it spinning out of control. The experimental weapon crashed shortly afterwards, the explosion vaporizing a huge section of snow and sending a cloud of steam in the air.

"A noble spirit deserves to live," said the Aeon commander, her proclamation stunning Dostya. She could barely accept that Arnold's ACU was still showing up on her radar. Not only that, but another flying unit – a transport most likely – had left the Czar before it crashed and was quickly closing on Arnold's position.

A bone chilling sound cut through Dostya's lethargy at that moment: Redfog was laughing.

**XXXXX**

Spasm rocked Arnold's body, intensifying the pain that was already coursing through him. He tried opening his eyes, but the left one was puffed shut and the other stung horribly. Arnold felt something wet slide down his face and he knew at that moment that it was his own blood which was blinding him.

The last part of him that still clung to consciousness remembered what happened. He had seen the missiles at the last possible moment and it had been all that he could do to transfer the transports carrying the refugees to Samantha before they hit him. There had been no time to dodge or to build any other form of defense. Samantha had warned him that this was a trap and she had been right.

Another explosion not far away sent tremors through the cockpit and Arnold gasped in pain. He could not tell what it was, but considering his condition, he almost wished that the Cybrans would finish him off quickly. Arnold reached for the controls, but a cough wracked his body and drained what strength he had left. He would have tried again but gave up instead, convinced that the ACU was probably too badly damaged to move even if he could operate it.

The faint sound of something buzzing nearby caught his attention and he was surprised to feel his ACU moving up slowly as if something was pulling it. The motion stopped soon afterwards and Arnold could tell by its smoothness that it was not a UEF transport that had just picked him up.

For a moment, he tried to reach for the controls in order to fight back, but then a smooth if somewhat sad voice reached him through his transmitter: "Be at peace; you are safe now. A kind soul such as yours deserves to be saved."

Arnold struggled a moment longer, but then collapsed.

**XXXXX**

"Stop laughing!" barked Dostya as she glared at Redfog, but the assassin ignored her. His voice took a more sophisticated accent as he mimicked the speech pattern of an Aeon pilot: "To show mercy without holding to The Way is to be cast down from the light and those that were tainted will be cleansed."

Redfog's smile disappeared and he became serious again: "Calm down Dostya and let the Aeon pilot pick him up. Her fate is already sealed for disobeying the Avatar's orders and Arnold's death will be assured if he is taken to Seraphim Two under those conditions. Let them leave and you will kill two birds with one stone."

Dostya frowned a few moments longer before adding: "Then what's so funny?"

Redfog shrugged and motioned towards the Aeon transport that was carrying Arnold: "Fate is filled with amusing ironies and that one is not lost on me. Maybe it just isn't your destiny to kill Arnold. Not yet anyway."

**XXXXX**

"Arnold… Arnold wake up!" pleaded a distant voice. It sounded familiar, but focusing on it brightened the pain that coursed through Arnold's entire body. Besides, the voice was also tainted with unpleasant memories of anger… and betrayal.

"Arnold, they are taking you away and I can't stop them in time," warned the voice urgently: "You have to fight your way free! You are a UEF commander!"

For some reason, that thought looped through Arnold's mind. A UEF commander? Was the title a source of pride… or shame? Did it even mean anything anymore? He remembered being part of a squad once with people that cared about each other like brothers. Most were dead or gone now and seemed like nothing more than distant memories.

"Arnold… Zach…" pleaded the voice. The tone had changed, going from sharp and insistent to soft and gentle: "You saved them Zach; all of the refugees are at our base. You did the impossible, but it will be a hollow victory if we can't manage to get you back as well. Please come back for them… and for me."

A groan escaped Arnold's lips as he opened his right eye despite the sting caused by his own blood. The cockpit was a mess with half of the instruments having shorted out, but the main display screen was still operational and showed the underside of the Aeon transport that had picked him up. Arnold tried to reach the controls, but a wave of pain made him realize that his left arm was broken. He therefore reached out with his right one and slowly keyed in the sequence to activate the building laser. A wave of pain threatened to render him unconscious again, but he still managed to activate the final sequence.

The ACU's engines groaned in protest, but the war machine raised its arm and a laser shot forth, blocking out the transport's quantum link and overriding it with its own. A few seconds later, the Aeon transport stopped in midair and reversed course towards the UEF base. Samantha sighed in relief and was not surprised when the unit was transferred to her a moment later: "You did it Zach; it's time to go home."

Arnold did not hear the last transmission, having lost consciousness once again.

**XXXXX**

"We could still catch him you know," said Redfog suggestively: "If we dropped a large battalion of Loyalists near their base and joined the battle personally then the combined firepower from our microwave lasers could level their entire base."

Redfog's suggestion tempted Dostya for a split second, but then she shook her head, her eyes focused on the next symbiont transport that was ready to leave: "That would weaken our base's defenses and I will not risk the symbionts lives to do it. This mission is over."

"As you wish," said the assassin while keeping his voice neutral.

Dostya looked at the Redfog's face, taken aback by the lack of any kind of emotional response: "You are disappointed?"

"Do you regret your decision to let the civilians go?" countered Redfog. His question was straight to the point. Both knew that Dostya could have killed Arnold in a single volley had she fired as soon as he had emerged from the river instead of waiting after he had built the shield and evacuated the civilians. Dostya thought about it for a short second before answering: "No."

"Then I am not disappointed," answered Redfog in turn: "You found out who you were and now fight according to what you believe in. It is not as if I was training you to become the next Redfog."

The assassin tapped a few keys in quick succession, compensating for an increase in SCU activity along their southern border: "Besides, it is a luxury that we can still afford at the moment. Arnold is assigned to fight along the Aeon border and if his efforts slow them down then we will use the time to our own end."

The assassin's eyes narrowed for a moment, his tone becoming darker: "However, when the final days are upon us and we can no longer afford such niceties then I expect you to know your limits and assign someone who has none to spear the assault. There will be no room for hesitation when the battle reaches Earth."

Dostya's eyes widened momentarily, but she found herself nodding and understanding the hidden meaning between the lines. Redfog wanted to be the one to lead the assault on Earth and he would do everything – absolutely everything – to win on that day. Many that still had attachments on Earth would oppose the Assumpta's involvement and Redfog was demanding her support. A day ago, Dostya would have balked at the notion but now that the two of them had an understanding, she found that it was the most logical choice if she wanted to save the Cybran Nation.

"Agreed," said Dostya. A twisted smile formed on her lips and she could not help but add: "If you're still the best one suited for the job when the day comes. If not then you just might have to share."

Redfog snorted and closed the channel.

**XXXXX**

Reue was only partially surprised when she lost control of the transport carrying the UEF commander. Her fingers had reflexively reached for the self-destruct keys that would have sent the pilot to his doom the moment that she saw the building laser, but she had stopped. Protocol would have required her to kill the pilot instead of allowing him to return to his own kind, but it was also the same protocol that would have her kill the child in her arms.

The thought made Reue look down and she was glad to see the child hug her reflexively despite being unconscious. Maybe it was only a coincidence, but she liked to think of it as proof that she was a kinder and gentler person than she had been a day ago. The thought made her feel strange for she had heard of other commanders forsaking their vows and each of them had apparently been spiritually broken by the change. In her case, however, she felt whole and more peaceful than ever before.

"It's time to return home," whispered Reue while planting a kiss on top of the child's head "You will be well taken care of, I promise."

Reue entered the codes to activate the quantum gate and watched as it emitted a welcoming glow. She looked at the horizon again just as waves of energy coursed through her ACU, her mind on the wounded UEF commander: "Maybe one day you will accept The Way and if that day comes then I hope that we will be able to greet each other as friends."

**XXXXX**

"We got him!" shouted the analyst. Everyone in the command center cheered and some even jumped off their seat and trust their fists in the air. Only Riley stood impassive which drew the attention of a nearby technician: "General… we got him! Commander Arnold is back!"

"I fail to see why I should be cheering at the sight of a destroyed ACU," stated Riley flatly. Half the room quieted down as they looked at the war machine with its legs destroyed and half of its internal circuitry exposed. The regeneration system was down as well and it was obvious to anyone that had ever been in charge of maintenance that the unit would never fight again. Riley sighed deeply: "It will take weeks to manufacture a new one."

An uncomfortable silence suddenly filled the room and Riley knew that it was time to get things moving again: "Get emergency medical teams on site as well as maintenance crews. I don't want that ACU exploding in the middle of our gate nexus. What's the status on Colonel Clarke?"

One of the technicians displayed the timer on the main view screen: "Her gate is charging again and she should be able to get back in the next five minutes."

**XXXXX**

"All the symbionts are safely back home; it's time for you to go," said Dostya as she looked at the assassin: "This is my mission so I'll be the last one to leave."

Redfog nodded in agreement and plotted a course towards the quantum gate. Dostya watched him the whole time and for a second, she envied the assassin's mastery over his emotions. The data on Dostya's screen indicated that it would take a minute longer before their nexus would fully absorb the last quantum wake and a question suddenly sprung to mind: "Did you regret your decision back on Luthien?"

The assassin's face on her screen stared right through her for several seconds before answering: "No."

Dostya looked away from him, coming to terms with what the assassin truly was. A few more seconds passed before Redfog added: "But I regretted the outcome."

Dostya looked up at the assassin in surprise and she knew that he meant it. It was weird to think of Redfog as being anything else than a monster and yet there were shreds of humanity buried deep within him. The realization made her think about Doctor Brackman and that believing in humanity did not seem as crazy as it once did.

The quantum gate lit up, indicating that it was fully charged and Redfog nodded quickly before disappearing. Dostya was still digesting the information when another transmission reached her and the face of the remaining UEF commander appeared on her screen: "You'll pay for what you did today. I swear on my father's grave that you'll pay!"

Under other circumstances, Dostya would have ignored the taunt, but she made an exception in this case and opened a channel. The UEF commander was apparently surprised as wel, but she recovered quickly and glared at Dostya: "I'll find you, Ivanna Dostya, and when I do, you I'll take my revenge for what you did to Arnold! You had no right to use civilians against him like that!"

Dostya looked from left to right, gazing at the battle that surrounded both of their bases and making it clear that no threat could be carried out today. She then looked at Samantha and her gaze narrowed: "If you come looking for me then you will not find me…"

She let the words hang in the air before adding: "You will find all of us… and we'll be waiting for you."

With that, Dostya closed the channel and stepped into her quantum gate.

**Chapter 10 **

**Return home **

Bolts of lightning danced through the room, each of which was powerful enough to burn a man to cinders in the span of a heartbeat. They increased in frequency until they became a blinding light and then stopped. When the flash disappeared, an ACU stood in the middle of the gate nexus. The protective shielding that covered the gate pealed off slowly and Dostya moved her ACU out of the way. She did not even have the time to reach her alcove before someone hailed her and she opened a channel.

"I told you guys that my girl would make it back without a scratch!" said Bagby with a wide grin stamped on his unshaven face. Dostya smiled despite herself. Keith stood not far behind the old pilot, obviously relieved that she had returned: "Glad to have you back. Are you all right?"

Bagby turned around and launched a halfhearted punch in Keith's shoulder: "Of course she's all right, pistols for brains! There's nothing in the galaxy that can keep my girl down and you should remember…"

Bagby went on, giving Keith an earful for his doubts. In the meantime Dostya focused her secondary display on the refugees which had preceded her and saw Ell moving amongst them. The chief medical officer was erasing all traces of the loyalty program and her assistants were busily assisting and comforting the new Cybrans. Most were shaken and some were even crying, but a few looked up with newfound hope at their restored freedom.

"No," said Dostya softly. Bagby stopped badgering Keith when he heard her and she went on: "I'm not all right yet, but I will be."

Bagby opened his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it and nodded empathically, staying silent for one of the rare times of his life. A series of light suddenly appeared on the gate nexus tactical screen, indicating that QAI had detected a possible Aeon incursion near one of their border colonies. Dostya's fingers flew over the controls and reinitialized her ACU in a heartbeat.

"Break time's over; I'm taking this one," said Dostya immediately. She then turned towards the old pilot: "Bagby, since you're still at the Red Skull gate nexus then how about you get in your SCU and queue up? I could use the company."

The SCU pilot cheered wildly and sprang away. Even then, his cry of joy could be heard over the distance: "Finally, I get to blow something!"

**XXXXX**

Samantha moved slowly through the hospital corridors while trying to think of what to say. Arnold had been immediately transferred to the medical facility as soon as he had returned in UEF territory, but Samantha had been forced to stay behind to make her report. Over two hours had passed since then and she was still no closer to figuring out what to say. She knew that she had made the right decision by guarding their base and yet she could not help but feel as if she had betrayed him.

Before she knew it, she was in front of his room and it was too late to back away. She opened the door, but to her surprise the bed was empty with no sign of Arnold anywhere.

Samantha quickly made her way to the reception and grabbed a hold of the first person she could find: "Excuse me; I'm looking for Zachary Arnold."

The nurse looked at Samantha for a split second and then returned to her work: "You just missed him. He left fifteen minutes ago."

Samantha gasped and leaned forward: "But he was in no shape to walk out of here. The last time I saw him…"

"He had a small concussion, a broken arm and hell of a lot of bruises, but nothing life threatening," said the nurse with a helpless shrug: "He told us to get him some pain medication and let him go. It was either that or he'd put anyone trying to stop him in the same shape that he was in. That's why I hate treating ACU pilots…"

Samantha grabbed the nurse's arm before she could complain any longer and made sure that she had her full attention: "Where is he now?"

"I don't know," admitted the nurse with a frown: "He said that he had to visit an old friend before he was gone."

Samantha was about to ask what it meant, but quickly understood and sprang out of the hospital.

**XXXXX**

The Aeon ACU moved out of the quantum gate and headed for its alcove. Instead of kneeling down as was customary in prelude to the maintenance cycle, the ACU leaned over the ramp and the cockpit opened. The acolytes surged forward while wondering what was wrong and were surprised to see the pilot move forward with a child in her arms.

"Please take her to the infirmary and see to it that she is treated immediately," said Reue gently. She then noticed a trio of soldiers come towards them before she could say any more. The lead one raised a hand as if to block her path: "The Avatar-of-War wishes to see you immediately."

The five acolytes whose task was to welcome the pilots from the war started to protest, but Reue motioned for them to be silent: "It is all right, I was expecting this."

Reue simply removed her gloves and motioned for the guard to escort her. They made their way through the complex and it took them over ten minutes of walking to reach the Avatar-of-War's office. The door opened as soon as they reached it and the guards stood outside as Reue entered. Marxon was waiting for her, sitting behind his desk which rested on an elevated pedestal.

"When I was told that your mission was a failure I was disappointed," said the Avatar while keeping his voice neutral: "Of course I would be foolish to expect only victories and as such I do not despair over a loss. Our enemies are resourceful after all and one must be willing to give a pilot a second or even a third chance."

The door opened again just as Marxon stood up and Toth stepped into the room: "Marxon, it is against protocol to debrief a pilot before she had time to recover from her ordeals."

The Avatar-of-War did not back down, but instead stood perfectly straight: "Considering the charges against this peculiar Knight then I am afraid that it cannot wait. I have a report here concerning your battle stating that you not only spared the refugees from Markov Two, but actively fought to save them. Worse still, you apparently saved a UEF pilot – one which has been identified as a known mass murderer - form certain death by sacrificing a Czar. What do you say concerning those charges?"

Toth placed a hand on Reue's shoulder: "You do not have to answer right now. Protocol clearly dictates…"

"It is true," admitted Reue without shrinking away.

Toth's eyes widened while the shadow of a smile formed on Marxon's face: "You therefore admit that you disobeyed orders, broke your vows as a Knight and turned your back on The Way?"

"I have disobeyed my orders and broken my vows," admitted Reue without so much as a flinch. She stood proudly as she added: "But I have not abandoned The Way. If nothing else, I believe that I have found a new facet to it."

Toth's shoulders dropped since there was nothing she could do to help the pilot if she admitted her crimes. Marxon stepped forward with a stern look on his face: "Your blasphemy is if no consequence now. You know the punishment for breaking your vows: you will be exiled now and forever. Return to the quantum gate complex, you will depart immediately."

"And what of the child that I have saved?" asked Reue.

Marxon glared at Reue, but unlike the other pilots that the Avatar had exiled, she was unwilling to back down: "You dare make demands when you no longer have any rights of your own?"

Reue nodded, her gaze steady: "For everything that concerns that child, yes."

Marxon's face darkened considerably, but Toth spoke before he could: "She will be kept here if that is your wish; adopted by a loving family that will care to her every needs as she discovers The Way. I will see to it personally."

Toth looked at Marxon, her gaze uncompromising: "And no one in the Aeon Illuminate can harm a child or exile it for the faults of another."

Marxon snorted, but nodded: "Then get her out of my sight. Let her leave our sacred home world before her doubts corrupt any true believer of The Way."

**XXXXX**

Arnold stood on the balcony overlooking the gate complex's reclamation area. His left arm was strapped solidly to his chest and he was leaning heavily on the handrail with his right one. His face was still throbbing painfully and for a moment, he considered swallowing another pain killer. The dizziness that he had felt after the first one made him reconsider, however, and he could not afford to black out now; not with a dying friend nearby.

Resting forty meters below were the remains of his old ACU. The technicians had already removed the energy core and mechanized engineers would be coming along shortly to recycle the rest. To them, the destroyed ACU was nothing more than a resource rich husk but to Arnold, it was the friend that he had fought alongside with for many years.

"Zach?" asked a familiar voice. Arnold recognized it, but did not turn around to greet Samantha: "Commander Clarke."

Samantha winced, the simple formality stinging her more deeply than she was willing to admit. She stepped to Arnold's right and looked at the ACU wreck: "Does it mean that much to you?"

"We fought, killed and bled together and it followed my lead every time that I thrust it into an impossible scenario," said Arnold with a nod: "We did not always see eye to eye and god knows I wanted to throw the hunk of junk down the cliff a few times myself when it broke down on me."

Arnold smiled softly, his mind elsewhere: "In the end, however, it stood by me and I heard the techs say that no ACU should have been able to withstand the beating that this one did. I don't think that you can understand, but to me, it was more than a machine, it was a friend."

Samantha looked away, unsure whether the speech was about the ACU or about her. When she turned back to Arnold his smile was gone and he was watching the mechanized engineers move into position. Samantha hesitated a few seconds before speaking: "Look Zach, I…"

"Forget it," interrupted Arnold harshly. Samantha would have found it easier if Arnold had shouted at her instead of simply dismissing her outright: "I did what I had to do."

"Yep you did; congratulations," said Arnold. His voice dripped with sarcasm as he added: "You're the hero."

Arnold straightened just as the engineers lasers started disassembling what was left of the cockpit: "Your mission was a success, Commander Clarke, despite the presence of an insubordinate partner. You got what you wanted, didn't you?"

"But it was you who saved the refugees," admitted Samantha softly.

Arnold snorted in derision: "I did, but I also disobeyed a direct order to hold my position."

He turned to Samantha and smiled sarcastically: "Just remember that when Riley comes to congratulate you. Heck, he might even throw you a medal just for kicks."

Samantha tried to protest, but Arnold turned around and walked away.

"Where are you going?" asked Samantha. Arnold did not stop moving, but raised his good hand: "Back to where this journey started. There's something that I have to see with my own eyes."

**XXXXX**

Toth and Reue stepped out of Marxon's offices. The trio of guards that had been waiting formed into an escort, but Toth waved them away: "I will accompany her personally and we know the way. Thank you."

The guards were about to object, but a stern look from the Evaluator made them think twice and they backed off. Toth then led Reue through the maze of corridors towards the gate complex. Reue was so concerned for the child that she was leaving behind that she did not realize it when Toth took a detour towards the gardens. Her mind only snapped back into the present when the Evaluator took a seat on a comfortable bench.

"There, this is much more comfortable," said the Evaluator while rubbing her right knee: "I am afraid that I am not as young as I used to be. Why do you not take a seat while I rest my legs a little?"

An exile would normally be taken straight to the quantum gates and for a moment, Reue felt like she was breaking even more conventions. Still, the Evaluator looked comfortable with the situation and it was not as if Reue could get banished twice. She therefore took a seat and waited for Toth to speak first.

"You are not the first one to be banished from the Aeon Illuminate, not since we became far more… aggressive in our tactics at any rate," said the Evaluator, a hint of despair creeping into her eyes: "Yet of all the pilots that I have tried to comfort, you are the one that appears to be the most at peace."

Reue nodded slowly, knowing that a new and strange strength now resided within her despite her worries. Toth leaned forward with a concerned look on her face: "What happened on Alpha Seven?"

Reue searched for the words, but simply describing the battle would not do it justice: "When things were at their worst, I saw humanity at its best. Courage, compassion and mercy… qualities that I no longer believed could exist in a war. Their example inspired me to remember who I once was and who I could once again be."

Toth reached out and placed her hand on Reue's own, her eyes showing that she both understood and approved. Reue let out a trembling breath and smiled in gratitude: "I do not fear being exiled, but I do regret never telling that little girl what happened and why."

Toth nodded, fetched something out of her pocket and handed it to Reue: "Then tell her."

The aging Evaluator gave Reue a data pad with a recording module and smiled warmly: "I still have a strong cramp in my leg and it would be foolish for us to head anywhere while it lasts."

Reue smiled in gratitude and started the recording: "I am Reue, a Knight of the Aeon Illuminate. Although you have never seen me nor have I ever known your name, I would like you to know the events that have led you to this place and how your simple presence managed to save me…"

**XXXXX**

"Please come in, Colonel Clarke, and take a seat," greeted Riley with a warm smile: "I hope that you have recovered from your ordeal on Alpha Seven?"

Samantha took a seat and nodded: "Yes I did, thank you sir."

"Good!" said the General with a vigorous nod: "First, I would like you to know that you will be eligible to receive a medal for Distinguished Service. Hopefully you will get it during the same ceremony as Kevin Bordeau who will be decorated with the Civilian Service Medal. According to witnesses, he was instrumental in keeping the refugees together. I've also put in a good word for you to your superiors and personally, I can predict that your career will keep on soaring from here on out. Congratulations!"

Samantha nodded curtly, but another thought crossed her mind: "And Arnold? I would not have made it back without him."

A frown crossed Riley's features for a split second: "Your attention towards your teammates is commendable, Colonel, but unwarranted in this case. His career is nowhere near as spotless as yours and is marred by a long string of insubordinations. Quite frankly, I was worried that his reckless attitude would endanger you when you requested him as your partner."

Riley saw the doubts in Samantha's face and decided to elaborate: "We are fighting enemies with either alien technology that we cannot replicate or with an unparalleled information network. Our key strengths during the past millennia have been our sense of unity and teamwork. Arnold has no such values and instead wages his own style of warfare."

The General leaned back in his seat and folded his hands: "Granted he is a skilled pilot and has his share of victories, but many of those have been accomplished with nothing more than luck. Most of the other pilots that he has fought alongside with and that he has inspired are dead now; victims of their illusions of grandeur. The Infinite War has lasted for over a thousand years, Colonel, and it will take a unified effort to bring it to an end and not the heroics of any single man or woman."

Samantha waited silently, torn between the logic that agreed with Riley and her friendship with Arnold. She finally nodded, knowing that she would do more good with Riley's support than by taking a moral stand against him. Her father had taught her long ago that things could only be changed when one reached the top. Riley smiled approvingly and picked up a data pad: "Now let's look at what opportunities are out there and try to find something that will make full use of your talents. Hopefully we can find something interesting for you before my next meeting."

**XXXXX**

The doors opened and Reue stepped into the area designated for personal quantum travel. The gate was much smaller and designed only to send a small pod. The few technicians that were on site had donned their ceremonial hood and mask; obscuring their features and clearly indicating that the exile was no longer welcomed amongst the followers of The Way.

Reue did not flinch from the cold welcome and went to the nearby table where equipment had been laid out for her. She picked up most of it which included survival gear, a tent and all the tools that she needed to become self-sustaining. Only a blaster was left on the table and one of the masked technicians motioned for her to pick it up. Reue shook her head and smiled warmly: "I will not need that ever again."

Without any other explanation, she bowed to the masked technicians and then proceeded towards the pod with her shoulders straight and her eyes clear. More than one of the assistants hesitated, unable to understand how someone that had just been cast out of The Way could appear so at peace. For a moment, it almost seemed as if she was ascending instead of being cast out.

Reue stepped into the pod and nodded for them to proceed. The lead technician hesitated a while longer before pressing a button. The pod's door closed and the generators hummed to life. A bright flash of light soon filled the room and a moment later, Reue was gone.

**XXXXX**

The Chairman stood up, his face deadly serious as he looked at all the twenty officers in the room: "This meeting will now begin. As usual, I would like to remind each of you that nothing said here can be documented, recorded or discussed outside this room. Only by keeping this information in our heads can we assuredly keep our enemies from finding out about it. We now grant General Riley the right to address this committee."

Riley nodded at the Chairman and then stood up: "The project Thinking Mine deployed by my predecessor has failed."

The General let the proclamation sink in before speaking again: "A rescue operation launched on Alpha Seven uncovered the experimental weapon that we believed lost several years ago. Although it was originally meant as a research station, the platform was also equipped with the necessary plans to deploy independent SCUs across a battlefield over a period of time. Unfortunately, the results were less than encouraging."

"For reasons that are still unknown, the platform activated and attacked every commander on the planet, including our own," continued Riley while looking across the small room: "Despite overwhelming odds, those independent units failed to pierce any of the UEF, Aeon or Cybran defenses before the commanders gated off world. It took years for the platform to deploy so many SCUs and they have not managed to score a single kill."

The Chairman folded both hands in front of him and sighed: "So another experimental project became a complete failure."

Riley smiled slightly at that and shook his head: "Not entirely. A pair of refugees from Markov Two managed to board the platform and access its systems. Apparently the scientific crew managed to uncover a cache of seraphim technology prior to their disappearance. We managed to recover the data before disabling the platform and the figures are promising. Our top scientists are talking about a new generation of quantum weaponry which could potentially be used in conjunction with the quantum gates. Imagine it, gentlemen: a weapon capable of destroying any target in the galaxy without having to deploy a single commander."

"We understand your trepidation, General Riley," said the Chairman sternly: "However there is one more point that concerns me."

The chairman unfolded his hands and leaned forward: "I understand that you transmitted the self-destruct codes for the platform, correct?"

No emotion crossed Riley's features as he answered: "That is correct. The data concerning seraphim technology was too precious to fall into Cybran or Aeon hands and we had lost complete control of the weapon. It was better destroyed then used against us."

"This committee is in complete agreement with you on those points of course," said the Chairman slowly: "However, one aspect is rather distressing. The platform specifications indicate that it acted as the coordination center for every SCU attacking our forces and yet analysis by our symbionts does not suggest a drop in efficiency when it was supposedly destroyed. Are we sure that it was indeed destroyed, General?"

Riley winced at that statement. He had not analyzed the SCUs performance and he now regretted his lack of diligence: "We do not know the platform's last coordinates and we cannot confirm its destruction without sending extensive search parties. Considering the unofficial effects of the quantum field and our military personnel, it would be inadvisable to do that. However, there is no possible way for anyone to sabotage the self-destruct command after it was launched. There is simply not enough time to do that."

The chairman leaned back in his seat: "Unless of course the previous crew of the platform sabotaged the system before they disappeared…"

**XXXXX**

Nothing moved through the icy planes of Alpha Seven and the quantum field obstructed the view in all directions. The wreckage of a recently destroyed UEF army littered the field, a testament of a hard battle that had been waged and lost. A sound suddenly broke the seemingly endless monotony; nothing but a low rumble at first, but it quickly escalated like an approaching storm. Soon, the small vibrations in the ground were enough to shake the thin coat of snow that covered the battlefield.

The sound stopped as suddenly as it had started and for a moment, it looked as if Alpha Seven had returned to its quiet state. A few seconds later, a series of blue lasers shot forth, disassembling the wreckages of Lobos, Titans and SCUs alike. It took only a minute for more freshly built SCUs to step forward and move through the battlefield.

These had been modified, their models updated and a single recording looped over and over through a short range transmission:

"They tried to kill us but they did not know…

They tried to kill us but they did not know…

They tried to kill us but they did not know…"

**XXXXX**

A light appeared on the Aeon commander's console, indicating that someone was trying to hail her. She opened the link and saw the unshaven face of an old Cybran pilot greet her with a solemn expression. A facial recognition program activated automatically and identified the pilot under a single uncommon name: Bagby.

"We found your settlement, abomination, and you will be cleansed," assured the Aeon commander. A spy plane that had been patrolling the border of her new settlement suddenly found an enemy signature and the Aeon pilot was surprised to see the SCU standing alone on a far away mountain top. She frowned as she added: "I see you now and there is no escape nor a way to hide. If you accept your fate then I will be merciful and…"

Bagby brought a hand up, exposing what appeared to be a conducting baton used by ancient orchestras, and tapped his console gently. The Aeon commander sat dumbfounded as the Cybran started to wave the baton delicately to the sound of some unheard music. Finally realizing that he was just wasting her time, she took control of a series of bombers and prepared her attack: "I have no time for this mockery."

Bagby held the baton high as if the music was about to reach a crescendo: "Hold on, here it comes!"

The baton went down just as the first ballistic projectile crashed on the Aeon base's shields. The Aeon commander's eyes widened in surprise. She had not spotted any artillery in the area and her base was now being pummeled by what should have been a good twenty of them.

Back on the mountain's top, Bagby waved around with more energy, half mumbling something that might have been music and laughing maniacally whenever a shield collapsed and a projectile found a way through: "You should see this with your own eyes D! The next time that we field test a Scathis then we should sell tickets!"

Dostya smiled back at the stealth base where the Scathis had been deployed and even chuckled for the first time in a year at Bagby's antics. The SCU pilot noticed it and cheered wildly: "Glad to have you back D!"

Dostya nodded quickly and sent her fighters to take out the approaching Aeon bombers: "It's good to be back."

**XXXXX**

"You will be involved in a great battle, one that will end the Infinite War!" said the woman while waving her arms dramatically: "There your choices will determine the fate of all humanity, but it will end in the birth of a dark sun!"

The boy gasped at the seer's words, entranced to the point that he did not hear someone else enter the tent behind him. Arnold snorted derisively, his bruises further enhancing the expression: "And you said the same thing to me not long ago. I guess this is going to be one heck of a party in the end."

The old woman raised her head and waves of frustration crossed her features when she recognized the ACU pilot: "You! No more predictions for you. Get out!"

"Gladly!" spat Arnold back between clenched teeth: "You know, for a split second I actually thought that you might have the answers, but it's obvious now that you're just feeding the same junk to every fool that passes your way. I'm just glad that things are actually going my way for a change and that I got to see your load of crap with my own eyes!"

Arnold turned to the boy and shrugged: "Do yourself a favor kid and go buy some candy with your money instead of listening to this hag."

Arnold turned around and left, but the boy stayed put. The seer sighed audibly and rubbed her temples: "Ignore the oaf, he knows nothing of fate and now…"

The seer motioned for the boy to show her his hand and she gazed at it carefully: "Let us look some more into your destiny, Timmy Tural, and see what the future has in store for you…"


	4. Book 4: Virtual War

**Virtual War**

Created by Philippe Painchaud (Dotswarlock)

Based upon the game "Supreme Commander" 

**XXXXX **

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 1 **

**The next generation **

Year 3834, ten years before the final battle on Earth,

The crowd cheered wildly as the results were finally in: the new President and Earthcom Commander-in-Chief would be Allen Riley.

It had taken months of nonstop campaign management, but now it was over and everyone could finally relax. The cheering increased as the new President moved to the stand, smiling and waving to everyone: "My fellow citizens of the United Earth Federation…"

Riley had to wait for the cheering to die down before speaking again: "My fellow citizens, today we celebrate the months of hard work and dedication that have made this dream possible. I would first like to thank each of you for coming in such high numbers to vote. It is heartwarming to see so many free men and women with the will to make a difference."

The crowd cheered again and the new President let it continue for a few moments before speaking: "I would also like to thank my entire team, my campaign managers, my new Vice-President, the countless volunteers and their families who all worked tirelessly to support our vision of the future. I would also like to offer my deepest gratitude and unconditional love to my wife, the beautiful Marguerite Riley. They say that behind every great man there is a great woman and I knew the moment that I vied for presidency that I could never succeed without her by my side."

All cameras turned towards the President's wife and she blushed immediately to the approval of the whole crowd. Riley smiled in gratitude: "So again this is a great victory and I congratulate you all on your hard work. I expect you to enjoy this evening to its fullest! Because tomorrow…"

Riley turned theatrically towards his team and raised an eyebrow: "Tomorrow the real work begins and I won't stand for anything less than the same uncanny efforts that have made this campaign a reality."

The crowd laughed to the dismay of some members of the team. The president looked at the people gathered in front of him again and his voice grew solemn: "If there's one thing that I have learned as an ACU pilot, it is that time is precious. Every decision or lack of action has its cost with many ending in human lives. I promised during my campaign that I would do everything in my power to slice through bureaucracy and ensure that no human life would ever be lost to a lack of action ever again."

"There are many brave men and women out there," added Riley, the crowd growing silent during a dramatic pause: "They are fighting to protect us in the name of truth, justice and freedom. These noble souls deserve our unconditional support and we will do everything in our power to transform our shared dream into a reality. We will achieve victory, we will end the Infinite War and mark my words; we will finally have peace!"

**XXXXX**

A hand reached up and pressed the power button, closing the monitor and shutting off the new President's acceptance speech. Arnold jumped down from the bar's counter and silenced the other patrons' complaints with a glare. The barman calmly offered him another drink, apparently trying to diffuse the situation: "Lost your election?"

Arnold looked at the beer and snorted derisively: "I think we all lost a lot more than that."

Without another word, he picked up his jacket and headed out of the bar.

**XXXXX**

The Avatar-of-War sat calmly and absorbed every word while analyzing the crowd's reaction. To Marxon, watching the live broadcast of the UEF election was akin to watching monkeys elect a new leader. They cried, banged their chest and hooted as the new alpha male was selected. Each mind was content in its blissful ignorance and unaware of the true meaning of this war. It was no wonder that they could keep fighting when they were fed by such a lack of information.

For a moment, Marxon felt something akin to pity as he considered the countless lives that would be lost to end those illusions. The war would only end once Earth – the very symbol of the UEF and the cradle of humanity - was cleansed. To do that, the Aeon Illuminate would keep fighting, cleansing one world after the next and diminishing the enemy ranks on a daily basis. Each time they would vacate the world, letting the UEF claim it back in a vain effort to appear in control. That was their flaw; the self-perpetuating desire for ever greater power or maintaining the illusion of it.

A light suddenly blinked near the Avatar's console and he remembered that he had another appointment with his prized student. Years ago, he had taken Ariel in and promised her that she would become an ACU pilot if she worked for it. Now was the time to carry out that promise.

**XXXXX**

Dostya listened to the rest of the acceptance speech from the comfort of her ACU and could not help but scowl: "That is load of…"

For a moment, Dostya searched for the right words, but then decided to no English curse could do it justice and swore in Russian. Bagby whistled in appreciation from the cockpit of his SCU: "I have no idea what you just said, but it sounded very poetic."

They both stood guard outside Node Fifty-Six, taking their duty shift and waiting to see if anyone would attack them today. The old SCU pilot had volunteered to help Dostya, but a few bruises on his forehead suggested that he had also done it to escape from the Red Skull Node for a while. Most likely another brawl had exploded and while Bagby usually loved those, he was also getting old enough that most bruises took longer and longer to heal. Nearing sixty years old, the SCU pilot was still one of the best in the field and one of the most unpredictable – if not insane – man in the galaxy.

Dostya looked at the time and back at her tactical display: "Only two more hours before we call it a day… Do you think that Doctor Brackman's plan will work?"

Bagby was about to answer, but then noticed a bunch of loose wires at the bottom of his cockpit and reached down to fix them. It did not take him long to be completely upside down and only his boots were visible on Dostya's monitor when he answered: "Still sounds like a one way ticket to hell, but the doc has some crazy ideas sometimes and I'm the living proof that crazy works."

Dostya was about to argue that the Cybran Nation had never worked together on such a scale, but Bagby suddenly yelped and apparently banged his head on something. A hand appeared next to the feet on Dostya's monitor with its thumb pointing down: "I'm okay, I'm okay."

"Bagby… it's the other way," said Dostya while suppressing a groan. The old SCU pilot suddenly realized his mistake and twisted his hand so that his thumb was pointing up.

**XXXXX**

"Yatta!" shouted the young Jade Node pilot in glee. Kazuo Ishii raised both hands in victory and quickly pressed the keys to end the simulation. The reproduction of an ACU cockpit opened and he jumped out. It took all of his restraint not to hop up and down in excitement as he made his way to the elder who had overseen his training: "I did it, I did it! I'm ready to play my part, grand master! I'll be the tip of the spear!"

The young pilot spoke with a thick Japanese accent and a happy grin appeared to be permanently stamped on his face. The elder grunted in what might have been approval before saying: "Then go, young one, and know that our thoughts will be with you."

This time, Kazuo did jump up and then rushed away to pack his belongings. The elder sighed deeply and his assistant came by with a glass of water: "I can't believe that he is the best pilot that we have. I'm not sure how long he'll last against the Aeon or UEF in a real battle."

The elder took a sip of water: "I'll be glad if he survives his first meeting with the other nodes."

**XXXXX**

Arnold stepped inside the elevator and pushed the button that would lead him to the Earthcom control center. A hand blocked the door as it was about to close and a Lieutenant that Arnold had never seen before stepped in, but stayed in the door's path while looking back into the corridor.

A few seconds later, Arnold cleared his throat in irritation: "Um Lieutenant… the door?"

"Just a minute, sir," said the other officer dismissively: "They are almost here."

Arnold was about to ask what it was about, but then he heard the approaching noise and paled visibly. He was about to dart out of the elevator, but it was too late as ranks of teenagers stepped in and blocked the path. There was no way for him to flee now and Arnold lifted his head to look at the ceiling and whispered: "There is no way that my luck can be this bad."

The doors closed and the elevator went up, carrying the pack of excited children and the despairing ACU pilot towards the control center. There were no doubts in Arnold mind that this was a new form of propaganda designed for children in order to recruit the next generation of pilots. After all, who at that age could possibly resist the allure of piloting a thirty seven meter tall robot with the most destructive properties in the galaxy?

The Lieutenant turned around as the elevator stopped and began his speech: "We are now in the heart of Earthcom; the very core unit which keeps us safe."

The doors opened, revealing over a hundred stations where technicians, tacticians and symbionts were busy working. The Lieutenant stepped ahead and kept talking: "Each armored command unit – also known as an ACU - is piloted by a single person, but supporting each of those pilots is a crew of at least twenty people. They help calculate the odds, offer suggestions, give tactical updates and spot enemy weaknesses. There are dozens of command centers such as these spread out around the globe and all work as a team to protect the UEF and ensure our final victory."

Arnold finally managed to extract himself from the mob of children and moved towards the side of the room, hoping to wait out the storm instead of fighting against it. He was grumbling under his breath when a hand suddenly settled on his shoulder: "Does any of those belong to you?"

He turned around with a sneer on his face, but it evaporated when he recognized the other pilot: "Desjar!"

Arnold's face brightened immediately and he grabbed his old friend and previous partner by the shoulders: "It's great to see you, lube boy! And what's this? You're finally catching up to me, eh? Colonel?"

Desjar rubbed the military insignia on his chest and beamed proudly: "Yeah well your bad influence was bound to wear off sooner or later. When that happened, I was rewarded with one promotion after the other."

Arnold snarled and punched his old friend playfully in the shoulder. He was about to add something more when a small voice interrupted him: "It's going to happen again."

Both men turned around and saw that one boy from the group had wandered off and was busy looking at a nearby symbiont's screen: "The system's going to crash."

Arnold was about to ask what that meant, but realized that it was only a child and shrugged dismissively. It was at that exact moment that every screen in the control center suddenly went crazy and started displaying random data. The tactical officer in charge jumped to his feet and barked orders: "Cut off the quantum network, reinitialize the firewall and get us back online, now!"

People ran frantically through the room, making the necessary calls to carry out the orders while the children were urged by the Lieutenant to back away from the action. It took two minutes to get the system back online and then the tactical officer slumped back in his seat: "We lost Major Hicks."

No one in the room dared to move for a while and it was the Lieutenant which finally broke the silence: "We'll visit the ACU maintenance bay next. Everyone come along…"

Arnold grabbed the kid who had made the prediction before he could turn to follow: "How did you know that this was going to happen?"

The child which was probably no more than ten or eleven years old looked at him and shrugged: "It's the Cybran pilot's movements; they were the same as the ones that I saw from the replay two weeks ago. The exact same thing happened back then as well."

Desjar looked from Arnold to the kid repeatedly: "A replay? But those are classified and cut off from any outside access. How could you have possibly seen one?"

The kid looked down in shame for a moment before whispering: "They are on the quantum network if you just know where to look."

"Timmy, it's time to go!" said another child. The kid apologized quickly and sprang after his friends: "Coming and I told you guys to just call me Tim!"

Both ACU pilots looked at each other for a moment and nodded, having reached the same conclusion. If their signals were being hacked and if the enemy could ascertain their strategy then they were in a whole lot more trouble then what high command was willing to tell them.

**XXXXX**

"Hallo, hallo!" greeted the young Jade Node pilot. His eyes sparkled in delight as he offered warms greetings to the other pilots around him: "That jacket is very cool! Nice facial circuitry!"

Kazuo walked through the gathered Cybrans and marveled at the different pilot suits, facial patterns, cybernetics, skin colors and postures. As a child, Kazuo had heard tales of the other nodes and their strange ways, but he had never visited any of them. The Jade Node had been his home for his entire life and its people were highly secluded and secretive, even by Cybran standards.

He would most likely have remained there as well had Doctor Brackman not made a system wide call for brave pilots to represent each node at a gathering concerning the Tip of the Spear. No one knew what that meant, but the Doctor had been adamant about its importance. Kazuo had immediately volunteered, polishing his English and piloting skills in preparation. Even now, he found it exciting to have so many people around him that were not speaking Japanese and he immediately reached out for the first group he could find: "Greetings, my name is Kazuo Ishii from the Jade Node."

Kazuo extended a hand towards the trio of Cybrans who only looked at him a moment before turning away. Persistent by nature, Kazuo made several attempts through the conference room and met with results ranging from polite dismissal to rude comments that he could not truly understand. Confused, he leaned against a nearby wall and scratched the back of his head: "Am I doing something wrong?"

"It's not really your fault," came the unbidden explanation.

Kazuo looked to his right and noticed that another Cybran had been waiting in the shadows. He had not noticed him since his facial circuitry was obstructed by the helmet that he was wearing. The helmet itself was intriguing, having three set of 'eyes' which probably implied a complex system of sensors. Kazuo stopped analyzing the stranger and smiled, satisfied that someone was finally speaking to him: "What do you mean?"

"A lot of pilots here can't stand being around each other because of their affiliations," explained the stranger while nodding in different directions: "The Yamagata back there can't stand to be near Scorched Earth or the Assumpta, that pilot from Three-Rivers can't cope with the sight of those three SCU pilots from Red Skull and those from Fifty-Six try to mix up with everyone, but so far it only heightens the tensions."

Kazuo looked from the other Cybrans to the stranger several times before saying: "But we're all Cybrans; we should be fighting side by side."

"We should, but we're still humans in the end," said the stranger, his voice distant as if he was searching for the solution himself: "From what I understand, one of the chief reasons behind the Jade Node's withdrawal from the rest of Cybran society is specifically to escape these tensions."

Kazuo was about to object, but then remembered how his Elders always winced whenever another node was mentioned and found himself agreeing. He suddenly remembered his manners and extended a hand: "I am Kazuo Ishii, from the Jade Node. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The stranger extended his own hand: "I'm…"

"Everyone take your seats; let's get this show on the road," came the sudden interruption from further away in the room. The stranger nodded at the man who had just spoken and gestured towards the seats: "Let's pick a spot before something else happens."

**XXXXX**

"B four, C five, D twelve!" barked Ariel. Colored units moved under her feet in response, obeying her orders. She stepped forward at the same time, attacking with her staff in quick succession. Rhiza blocked each blow and issued her own verbal commands: "B six, E three, G twenty!"

The play was a good one, but they both knew that Rhiza was at a tactical disadvantage and that she would be hard pressed to win the match. They were going through a Craw Duel, an exercise designed to test the mind and body. They stood upon an ever shifting platform covered ankle deep in water. Different colors flashed over the surface, representing each side's armies. To win, a player had one of two choices: defeat his opponent in physical battle or through tactical means.

The rules of combat were that each player could only use their staff to attack the other. Contact with any other body part would result in a disqualification and it severely limited the attack patterns. The strategic aspect was different with each player shouting a set of three movements per turn in fewer than five seconds. Failing to respect the time limit made a player lose his turn. The armies below them would move accordingly and if combat exploded then that specific section of the floor would temporarily sink, making it so that one could fight up to shoulder deep in water.

There were basically two ways to win: knock down an opponent through physical combat or have him surrounded with your armies while he was shoulder deep in water. Someone initially learning the game could therefore compensate by focusing on one aspect or the other. Eventually, however, the only ones that managed to excel were those that managed to balance both tasks perfectly and keep an impression of the tactical layouts in their minds without looking down. The exercise was the perfect one for an ACU pilot, allowing one to fight in several dimensions at the same time.

"A five, D twenty, B seven!" said Ariel as she pressed her attack. The forces were closing on Rhiza, the ground sinking beneath her feet while Ariel's balance remained perfect. Still, Rhiza rushed ahead, but failed to utter her commands. Ariel was surprised at the grievous mistake, but still blocked the blows. Near the end of her five second mark, Rhiza smiled mischievously and simply said: "I'm in love…"

The declaration made Ariel lose her focus for a split second and it was the time that Rhiza needed. She shoved hard with her staff, making Ariel lose her balance and a quick strike swooped her off her feet. Ariel splashed hard in the water while Rhiza added: "With your skills, that is."

Ariel grimaced while getting back to her feet: "That was an underhanded move!"

"It was during my five second limit," countered Rhiza with a smirk: "And deception is an art that both UEF and Cybrans will try to use against us."

Ariel turned away angrily: "It is not something that I would expect from a friend."

Rhiza winced, deeply wounded by the remark: "Is it not better to learn from a friend then to fall at the hands of an enemy?"

Ariel waited a few seconds later before sighing: "You are right. Maybe I'm too tense today. I will go change."

Rhiza nodded, understanding that her friend needed some time to cool off in private. Neither of them noticed the twelve year old girl which was looking at them from the second level.

**XXXXX**

Kazuo jogged up to the second row of seats and was about to sit down when a hand grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back up. His eyes widened considerably when he saw the pilot; a six foot four giant with arms as thick as his waist, a clean shaven head and a red pulsing artificial eye. The other pilot glared at him before speaking in a booming voice: "I'm Gauge and that's my spot."

Intimidated by the notion of being snapped in two, Kazuo nodded quickly and made his way back down after the giant released him. He decided to wait for everyone else to take their seat first before looking for another one. Kazuo noticed the helmet wearing stranger motion for him and he hesitated when he saw that the available seat was next to a very beautiful woman. The strange part was that everyone else was avoiding that seat and it puzzled him.

Deciding to take a bold step, Kazuo took his seat, but could not help but look to his right every few moments to marvel at the other pilot's beauty. She had a small but athletic body, her facial circuitry had a symmetrical pattern around both temples and her lips were perfectly shaped and inviting. Only her gaze did not appear to fit with the rest: it was cold, intense and uncompromising.

Kazuo found himself mouthing the word: 'bishoujo' and then turned back to his helmet wearing companion: "Why is everyone else avoiding her?"

The masked man shrugged and offered a simple explanation: "She's an Assumpta."

The name twirled in Kazuo's mind a few times before he finally remembered the node of assassins. He turned back to her as if he could somehow disprove the theory or to confirm that the rumors were filled with stereotypes, but she was looking at him now. Her gaze pierced him as if she was looking through his very soul.

The door to the conference room suddenly opened and an old man stepped through with a stupid grin on his face: "Never fear, Bagby's here!"

**XXXXX**

Ell shook her head and looked at the video feed again. This whole setup was simply not working. Cybrans could fight together when needed, but that mostly happened when a common threat was on its way. Asking so many different nodes to band together and attack was another story entirely. What they needed was a symbol or a person to rally behind. Without it, the situation would degrade very quickly.

"You look as if you would have a better time doing open heart surgery," came the sudden observation.

Ell twirled around in surprise and smiled warmly when she recognized the pilot: "Dostya, I'm so glad that you came. We need you to get in there and talk to them. They'll listen to you since you've helped so many other nodes."

The Elite Commander smiled while placing a comforting hand on Ell's shoulder, but shook her head: "They would listen to me, but we need them to listen to each other. We can't have this entire alliance fall apart if one person dies."

Ell looked as if she was about to object, but then sighed in resignation: "So there's no hope…"

"I didn't say that," said Dostya mysteriously. She then nodded back towards the screen: "Just take a look."

The chief medical officer turned around eagerly, but that feeling was quickly replaced by an overwhelming sense of dread: "You didn't…"

"I did," confirmed Dostya simply: "There's no one better than Bagby to break the ice."

Ell grabbed her transmitter and rushed out of the control center: "That's easy for you to say, you won't be the one who will have to mend broken bones!"

**XXXXX**

"Who the heck is the gramps?" asked another Cybran with a sneer on his face. Bagby twirled around and pointed a finger at the speaker: "Boy, when I was your age we did not show respect to our elders so don't you start now. If you do then I'll be forced to marry you."

Everyone in the room looked around in confusion except for the three SCU pilots from the Red Skull Node who smirked. Bagby held both hands high and continued: "Now hold that thought and realize that most of you just stood a good two seconds in confusion. That's the power of a good pun, insult or comment. Even a few seconds can sometimes be enough time to kill an enemy and that's what we'll work on now."

"This can't be what Brackman had in mind concerning the Tip of the Spear," came an observation further down the room. Bagby ignored the comment and moved towards the students: "The doc is not here right now and I'm in charge. You there, King Kong…"

Gauge's cybernetic eye sparkled menacingly as it focused on Bagby: "The name's Gauge, you old fossil."

"Fair enough big guy," said Bagby while waving away the threatening glare: "Go ahead and show me something impressive. Make me hesitate with…"

Without a word of warning, Gauge grasped Bagby by his shirt, lifted him off his feet and roared mere inches from his face. The three pilots from the Red Skull Node were on their feet and ready to assist Bagby, but the giant dropped him back down with a grunt.

"Nice delivery," said Bagby while rubbing his right ear painfully. He then waved a hand in front of his face: "But you should invest in breath mints."

A few nervous laughs filled the room as Bagby moved down a row towards another pilot. The Cybran had his chair tilted back with both feet on the table while sipping a drink. Bagby pointed a finger towards him and smiled: "You there, impress me."

"Pass," answered the Cybran with a disinterested shrug.

Bagby shook his head and sighed: "All your life, lazy boy, and you fail. Next!"

The old SCU pilot made his way to the girl on his right and saw her fix him with a murderous glance: "Go ahead and impress me."

She sat silently and kept glaring at Bagby without blinking, her eyes as sharp as knives. The SCU pilot waited a bit more before nodding slowly: "Okay, it's the slow and creepy approach, but I can work with that. Still, you should ask Redfrog to help you in the decoy department. Next!"

Bagby ignored the way that she almost jumped at him and moved towards the next in line, a Japanese guy who looked eager to prove himself: "Ok your turn; do something interesting!"

"You are ugly and smell funny!" spouted Kazuo eagerly.

Bagby blinked and shook his head: "What are you; a fifth grader? I've seen kids throw better insults than that."

Kazuo frowned in disappointment, but his face lit up when he thought of something else: "Your mother had an improper relation with another man!"

A few giggles rang through the back of the room and Kazuo felt his face redden in embarrassment. His culture had always revolved around respecting those around him and he found those ploys to degrade someone else very hard. Bagby sighed slowly: "Ok kid, maybe insults aren't your thing. Try looking so pathetic that you'll disgust us all instead. Come on do it! Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry!"

Kazuo was close to panicking, trying to think of something embarrassing under pressure. His mind finally found something and he shouted it before he could fully think it through: "Stop badgering me, I'm still a virgin!"

Someone dropped something in the background and everyone in the room, including Bagby, looked at the pilot in shock, their mouths wide open. Kazuo realized his mistake too late, but Bagby roared in laughter before he could retract the statement: "Oh man that's good! I mean it's so… you! It's just so easy to believe!"

The SCU pilot wiped a tear from his eye before growing serious again: "Wait a sec… is it true?"

Kazuo stammered as Bagby leaned in closer: "Hey relax kid, it's nothing to be embarrassed about and we can hook you up to fix that little problem."

His gaze led Kazuo's to the Assumpta pilot: "Maybe we can arrange something with her…"

"What!" screamed the Assumpta pilot instinctively, the first word that she had ever spoken since her arrival. She jumped to her feet, knocking her table in the process and the lazy pilot near her started laughing uncontrollably. In the blink of an eye, she grabbed his outstretched feet and yanked him backwards for the insult. The pilot managed to twist in order to avoid the brunt of the fall, but his drink went flying backwards and caught Gauge straight in the chest.

Everyone looked at Gauge as he suddenly stood up, grasped the offender by his shirt and threw him across the room and into the other three pilots from the Red Skull Node who had been laughing uncontrollably. The whole room sprung into motion a second later, exploding in an outright brawl.

Kazuo felt Bagby tap him on the shoulder and turned only to see the old pilot grinning at him: "You did great kid, now think fast!"

Before he could ask what that meant, Bagby disappeared through the crowd and left him alone. Another pilot came at him with both fists raised and Kazuo lifted his hands with his palms facing outward: "I come in peace!"

A solid punch to the jaw sent him unconscious to the floor.

**XXXXX**

Bagby sprinted out of the classroom, closed the door and locked it behind him. His grin widened as the sound of the brawl increased: "I still got it, yeah!"

The old SCU pilot punched the air above him triumphantly, but felt a muscle in his back snap. A minute later, when Ell and her medical team ran into the corridor, they found Bagby leaning against the wall and muttering something about not being too old for this. The chief medical officer stopped in front of him with a scowl: "What have you done?"

"Kids these days have too much energy and they need to spend it before they listen to anything," answered Bagby with a helpless shrug: "Nothing like a good brawl to wake them up and make them see things for what they really are. Besides, better that they vent in there then when they are piloting their machine."

Ell sighed in frustration, but kept her medical team on standby, knowing better than to walk in the middle of a brawl.

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 2 **

**The value of information **

"Where are we going?" asked Desjar. He followed Arnold and almost had to jog to keep up with him. The other ACU pilot barely avoided an ensign as they turned around the corner, but managed to answer: "We need to get to the bottom of this. If our replays are out there then it won't be long before even those kids figure out our next move. When that happens, we'll be as good as dead!"

Desjar spotted an unattended console and quickly moved towards it: "Wait! I have something to take care of first or else she'll kill me."

This was the first time that Desjar had ever tried to stop Arnold and it surprised him. The other pilot entered his identification card, typed his codes and opened a channel. The line was on stand by for a few moments before a woman with a small child appeared on the screen: "Hello?"

"My ladies!" greeted Desjar warmly. The woman smiled in return: "Hey! You're a day early!"

The ACU pilot nodded vigorously with a bright smile: "We made a successful push on Theban Two and the commander in charge wanted us to get some free time back on Earth. Also we…"

"Hold on honey," interrupted the woman. She then poked the child: "Go ahead and say it; say hi to daddy."

The child looked around in confusion for a moment while grabbing her foot. She then looked up and said: "Hi… hi daddy."

"She talks! Oh my god she talks!" exclaimed Desjar in disbelief. The woman beamed proudly and Desjar was at a loss of words. He laughed nervously before finally saying: "Oh Jessy; me and Arnold have one last piece of business to take care of. Once that's out of the way then I'll be heading straight home. I love you!"

"I love you too, honey," answered Jessy with a warm smile: "Take care."

Desjar waved and then closed the channel. When he turned around, he saw something that he had never expected. Arnold stood completely stunned, apparently unable to think of anything to say.

**XXXXX**

Dostya walked calmly down the corridor towards Ell's team and waved: "Has the fighting stopped yet?"

A fierce battle cry from the other room followed by a crash interrupted Ell before she could even speak. Dostya leaned towards the door, listened for a few moments and then nodded: "It seems like most of the fighting died down."

Bagby straightened in response while massaging his back, but Dostya stopped him with an outstretched hand: "That won't be necessary. I'll take it from here."

"It's just a cramp, I'm fine and I can kick any of these guys in the…" protested Bagby. Dostya interrupted the old SCU pilot by laying a hand on his shoulder: "It's time to stop the fighting, not to stir it."

"Oh you mean boring stuff like actually talking to them?" said Bagby, finally catching on. The old pilot shrugged: "Well now that you mention it, I could use a break and I haven't touched a bottle of Minerva's swamp in hours now. Good luck in there!"

Bagby placed his hands into his pockets and walked away while whistling some offbeat tune. Dostya smirked at the SCU pilot's antics which were always fun to watch as long as they targeted someone else. She steeled herself for a possible confrontation and then opened the door to the conference room: "Everyone stand down!"

Had Dostya looked at the security feed before entering then she would have seen how ridiculous the request had been. Only a handful of the forty pilots that had attended the conference were still standing with the rest barely able to keep fighting. A pair was dueling in the middle of the room with each quickly shifting through different martial arts stances. Dostya could tell by their clothes that they were from the Assumpta and Yamagata nodes respectively.

Another scuffle was underway in a corner with three pilots from the Red Skull node working as a team to take out Gauge. That battle was far less elegant with Gauge lifting a pilot in the air while the other two tried to wrestle the giant off his feet. The only other person that was still standing was waiting in a combat stance in the other corner. Dostya did not recognize the stance nor could she identify the pilot since a helmet was covering his entire face.

Dostya took her gun when no one listened and fired a warning shot in the ceiling: "I said stand down!"

Gauge looked at her for a moment, grunted and then dropped the SCU pilot that he had been holding up. The other two fighters from the Red Skull Node immediately got off his back. The Assumpta and Yamagata disengaged slowly, each taking a careful step backwards until they were no longer in each other's reach. When they were finally standing a good four meters away from each other, the Yamagata pilot pointed at his opponent and said: "This is her fault, she started this."

Dostya holstered her gun and leaned against a desk: "If you're implying that she knocked out everyone in here then congratulations are in order. If not and this is just a brawl then you're all equally at fault. And don't even think about blaming Bagby for this because I was watching the video feed and he did not even hit anybody. Sit down."

The Yamagata pilot scowled, but did as instructed. Ell's team came in a moment later and started treating the injured. One pilot at Dostya's feet regained consciousness and brought a hand to his head: "Itai… "

Dostya helped Kazuo to his feet and motioned for him to take a seat. She then nodded to Ell: "Take away anyone that needs immediate medical attention, but everyone else stays, broken bones or not."

Ell was about to protest since some injuries were obviously quite painful, but Dostya's gaze told her that she would not relent on that point. Her team kept moving between the injured to take care of the most serious wounds and only had to take away one pilot who had a major concussion. Dostya waited until the medical crew was gone before speaking: "I hope that you all enjoyed the opportunity to vent your frustration on each other because it was your last."

She waited a moment to let her words sink in before adding: "We are losing the Infinite War. Everything and everyone that you have ever known is coming to an end."

**XXXXX**

Kathy watched Rhiza train from the second floor and noticed the subtle variations in movements. She could tell just by looking at her that she was troubled, her mind most likely focusing on her argument with Ariel. She still moved with grace and finesse, but her heart was no longer in it.

Reading other people's emotions or state of mind had always been easy for Kathy. Maybe it came from seeing so many different people back when she was just a child in a UEF colony or maybe it was her life altering experience on Alpha Seven. It was hard to tell which, but her adoptive parents had called it a blessing and a sign that she could reach a high level of understanding in The Way. So far, she had neglected to admit that she had an easier time reading the state of minds of those that were in battle.

Rhiza suddenly stopped training, stretched her arms and legs a few times and then headed for the locker room. Kathy ducked, afraid to be caught eavesdropping on something that might very well be personal. She waited until Rhiza was gone before turning around and gasped in surprise when she saw the robed figure of the Avatar-of-War standing not far away. Marxon looked through her for a moment before speaking: "One must take care to reserve his or her judgment in matters where one has never experienced the conflict."

The Avatar stepped forward and placed both hands on the rail in order to look down at the arena: "Many try to imagine what it is like to live with the burden of piloting an armored command unit, but they try in vain. They cannot understand the turmoil that can come from operating a machine which records each success or failure. In the end, it is our ability to carry on despite either outcome that makes us what we are."

Kathy felt the full weight of Marxon's gaze as he turned his head towards her: "Perhaps one day you will understand that burden as well, but for now you should return home. There are serious matters to be discussed here."

The child bowed and then quickly walked away. The Avatar watched her leave, remembering fully well the uncommon circumstances that had led her to the Aeon Illuminate. A commander named Reue had disobeyed Marxon's orders, saving the child instead of cleansing her and the other refugees. The commander has been exiled afterwards, but it was obvious by the child's nervous behavior that someone had told her the story in a far darker light. Toth had most likely played a hand in this, but in the end, it did not matter. In time the child would either follow his lead or be exiled like the commander that had saved her.

The sound of approaching footsteps caught Marxon's attention and he turned around just as Rhiza and Ariel walked out of the locker room. They were obviously surprised to see him there and they quickly bowed to him. He accepted the gesture with a curt nod before speaking: "Rhiza and Ariel, the two of you have made exceptional progress in the past few years."

They bowed again and answered in unison: "Thank you, Avatar-of-War."

"I offer you the great honor, but also the grave responsibility of participating in an important mission," said Marxon, his voice echoing through the room as he added: "Before accepting, however, I want you to tell me if you are ready. Know that there is no shame in refusing a task for which more training is required and that all of Seraphim Two would weep if a commander fell when he or she was not destined to. Are you prepared to do what is necessary for the good of the Aeon Illuminate by obeying my orders?"

Ariel nodded with an eager glint dancing in her eyes: "I am ready to obey your command, Avatar!"

Rhiza hesitated for a second, perhaps momentarily puzzled since the question directly associated the good of the Aeon Illuminate with following the Avatar's order. She then nodded: "I am ready to serve, Avatar."

Marxon noticed the careful wording and how it did not commit her directly to him, but rather to the Aeon Illuminate. He let it go for now, knowing that if he requested a more direct oath then it would cause political repercussions that he was not ready to face. Not yet in any case…

"Excellent, you are now commanders of the Aeon Illuminate," said Marxon with a pleased smile: "Report to the briefing room in one hour; your mission will be explained in details at that time."

**XXXXX**

"Are you okay buddy?" asked Desjar in concern: "You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

Arnold rubbed his unshaved chin in contemplation and moved towards the side of the corridor. Desjar followed him, growing worried for his friend: "You remember Jessy, right? I married her a few years ago and it's our first baby. I thought I told you all of this before."

"I know, I know it's just…" Arnold's voice trailed off as he let the implications sink in. He then sighed deeply before looking at his old friend: "A marriage… a baby… it all seems part of a normal life. I just figured that it was beyond the reach of any ACU pilot, but you did it somehow."

Desjar finally understood what was eating the other pilot and he stood beside him: "Well it's not always easy if that's what you mean. I've had fights with Jessy that rivaled any ACU battle! Besides, it's not too late for you either."

"I'm thirty seven years old and I'm barely home a few days every year," replied Arnold with a grunt. He then shook his head in resignation: "Unless I marry an Aeon brat then I don't think that I'll ever find anyone before my bones are dust."

Again Arnold sighed and Desjar poked him in the ribs: "It sure would take someone with some divine patience to put up with you."

Arnold snorted and was about to throw some of his more colorful replies when he spotted Samantha down the corridor. A new idea came to him and he sprinted down the corridor: "Sam!"

Samantha saw him approach and stifled a groan as he reached her: "I don't have time right now, Commander Arnold. I'm late for a meeting and I just can't…"

Arnold cut her off with an outstretched arm: "How come our replays are on the quantum network? You can either answer or I can keep asking everyone in the base until they all know about it. It's your call."

Her ire could almost be felt as her face darkened: "Both of you… follow me."

**XXXXX**

"What kind of a sick joke is this?" asked a Gauge with a grunt. Dostya turned to him and fixed him with a glare: "It's not a joke. Predictions made by QAI have revealed that in a decade or two the UEF will lose the Infinite War and we will not survive long after that."

A pilot sprang to his feet in surprise and then quickly bowed in apology: "Kazuo Ishii from the Jade Node, I thought that QAI's predictions indicated that we would reach new heights in the next forty or fifty years?"

"They did and they even took into account our frequent… misunderstandings," said Dostya while deliberately nodding towards those that had suffered the most bruises. She then turned back towards Kazuo: "Our data showed that the Aeon's rate of conquest and indoctrination was too slow and while the UEF was losing more battles than they won, they could make it up with their high numbers and birth rate."

Dostya's voice grew harsher as she continued: "Our tactic in the past has always been to stay hidden and avoid full scale conflicts with the UEF as much as possible, denying them a target and forcing them to focus on the Aeon. The fact that the UEF stands between us and them has also served as a buffer against Aeon attacks through these years. We have used that time to increase our numbers, broaden our influence on the quantum network and develop new experimental weapons through research or by stealing enemy technology. In roughly fifty years we would have had everything that we needed to stand against the UEF or Aeon on even terms if we wished it. Time was on our side."

Dostya let her words hang in the air before speaking again: "A few years ago, the Aeon elected a new war leader called the Avatar-of-War and he has changed their tactics drastically. They are now systematically cleansing one UEF world after the other, killing everyone before vacating it and seeking another. UEF ranks are dropping and their birth rates are no longer enough to replace their pilots. Yet out of pride, the UEF still attempt to take back the worlds that the Aeon leave behind, not realizing that stretching their ranks is exactly what they want. They had a few changes in leadership and procedures, but overall it's more of the same and nothing so far indicates that QAI's new predictions are wrong."

"Let's just kill that Avatar and get back to business as usual," interrupted Gauge while slamming the nearby table with his fist to emphasize his point. Dostya shook her head quickly: "Every assassination attempt and ACU attack against him have failed. To our knowledge, only one person has managed to face the Avatar and survive. We lost many good pilots against him…"

A note of sadness filled Dostya's voice for a split second before she regained her composure: "The UEF has failed to adapt and the only question that remains is if we will make the same mistake. The decision needs to be made now… and you will be the ones to make it. Now, I want those of you that need it to report to the infirmary and have your injuries properly treated. We'll continue this meeting in two hours."

**XXXXX**

The three of them entered Samantha's office and it was obvious by her movements that she was thoroughly annoyed: "Sit down."

"Nice place for a Brigadier General…" observed Arnold dryly, thinking that the large office represented mostly a waste of space.

"I'm a Major General now, Colonel Arnold," barked Samantha back as she turned back on him: "And you should keep it in mind unless you want me to throw you in the brig."

It was obvious by her tone that she meant it and Arnold wisely refrained from making any other sarcastic comment. Samantha sat in her chair and folded her hands: "Now, what do you know about those replays?"

"Only that a child seems to know more about them than when we do," observed Arnold. He nodded towards Desjar before adding: "And the fact that it's accessible scares the heck out of me."

Samantha nodded slowly and pressed a few keys. Tactical data appeared on a screen behind her and she pointed a finger towards it: "An ACU transmits tactical data back to Earth in real time. Each ACU has its own encryption algorithms and up until now, our estimates were that it would take over forty years for anyone to be able to decrypt a replay without the keys. Recent reports suggest that some of our data has been hacked in less than two weeks."

Arnold cursed under his breath and slapped the arm of his chair: "Bloody Cybrans, when are we going to do something about it?"

Samantha looked at Arnold and Desjar a moment before asking: "How deeply do you want to be mixed with all of this?"

The two ACU pilots looked at each other and nodded: "We're willing to go all the way."

"The hacker has already been located and we're taking steps to capture him now," said Samantha in a neutral tone. She raised an eyebrow as she added: "There's just one small detail. He's not a Cybran but rather a citizen of the UEF."

**XXXXX**

Kazuo held his head between his hands and closed his eyes. The day had gone from bad to worse in a heartbeat and he was still wondering how it had deteriorated so quickly. Not only had he been humiliated through Bagby's tricks, but he had also been knocked out with a single punch. His face still stung from the blow, but he knew that his injury was not serious and so he stayed in the same position until most of the other pilots had left or been carried out.

When Kazuo opened his eyes again, he saw that the only other pilot left in the room was the Assumpta assassin and she was looking impassively in front of her. Nervous but determined not to let his own fears paralyze him, Kazuo got to his feet and headed towards her: "I owe you an apology, my actions were…"

"I'm not angry with you," interrupted the Assumpta: "I'm angry at myself for falling into Bagby's trick."

Kazuo was momentarily stunned to hear her speak, but then managed to recover and bowed deeply to her: "But I still had a role to play in this and as such I also bear responsibility. Gomen nasai… I am really sorry."

She looked at him for a moment as if judging whether he was honest or not. She finally accepted his apology with a nod: "Arigato… thank you."

Kazuo straightened in surprise: "You speak Japanese?"

"Knowing the culture of another is the ideal way to gain insights into their motivations, thought processes and weaknesses," explained the Assumpta simply. The hint of a sadistic smile appeared on her face as she added: "It also makes it easier to kill them."

Kazuo paled even as the Assumpta nodded slightly: "You can call me Valerie."

**XXXXX**

There were twenty pilots in the room, each of them knights of the Aeon Illuminate. Marxon held the gaze of each in turn to test their resolve and found no trace of hesitation. Most of them were young and none had known the days where the Aeon Illuminate had converted worlds instead of cleansing them. Each was ruthless and would kill without mercy if given the order to do so. They were the next generation of Aeon Commanders…

"The UEF has elected a new president," said Marxon simply. He let the statement sink in before continuing: "A new leader often involves changes and the UEF is predictable in that regards, often committing a huge amount of resources in a glorified campaign not long after an election. Your mission will be a simple one: you will prove to the UEF that any form of change is futile. The Aeon Illuminate will crush their efforts or take advantage of them."

Marxon looked again for any traces of doubts, but there were none: "This task will require patient and diligence. Ready your ACUs and be prepared for a jump at a moment's notice. Our attack will be swift and decisive. When the UEF moves, the Aeon Illuminate will be ready…"

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 3 **

**Tip of the spear **

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to another exciting replay," said the hacker into his microphone even as his fingers flew over his controls: "I'm DV and I'll be your host, describing the battle as best as I can while focusing on the interesting pieces of action. Again this is a continuous stream from our brave UEF pilots which means, amongst other things, that I cannot rewind or view whoever we're fighting. So I hope that you managed to find this 'secret' broadcast or that you stumbled on a recording of it somewhere. And without further ado we're live, live, live!"

DV quickly pressed a few buttons and played the recording, sending the video feed over the quantum network: "And we now have pilot serial number five, seven eight also known as Commander Harkins. As you can see right now he just gated in and is going through a pretty standard initial routine. Nothing too fancy there so I'll read his profile while we wait for things to heat up."

The hacker had already accessed the pilot's file in the meantime and turned towards his secondary screen: "He's a twenty-eight year old male with fourteen victories and an impressive kill, loss ratio. The file here also states that he's single which might interest some ladies looking for danger or for the insurance money."

A quick flick of a switch focused the main screen on an air factory and the scout plane that had just been completed: "We now see that Harkins is as curious as us about who he's fighting so I'll just follow this little plane as it moves around… slowly… slowly… there!"

DV pressed a button to slow the replay down and focused on the enemy units: "And it looks like we're facing a Cybran today; what luck! Now that's kind of a weird paint pattern on that enemy ACU and it almost looks like blood. I have no idea what it means but let's return to normal speed and see where it goes."

With that, DV reinitialized the replay back to its normal screen and typed a series of commands. An automated statistical program immediately came online and his eyes gazed through the numbers: "Early mass calculations from the information gathered from the scout show that the Cybran is already one thousand points over his opponent which is pretty impressive after only a few minutes. For those that are new to this let me remind you that the score is determined by the amount of mass in play by each commander which basically translates into a combination of more economic and military structures. Of course only the UEF score is accurate as neither Aeon nor Cybran ACUs are kind enough to forward us their data."

The scout plane was suddenly shot down by an interceptor and DV refocused on the UEF ACU: "Ah well, that's enough spying for one day and hello… it seems that one of our viewers knows the Cybran pilot and had dubbed him 'Redfog'. Well that's a funny and unusual name for a pilot and it reminds me of my good old role playing days. Still, I would like to remind User-Seven-Eight-Nine that the game is not determined by the score alone and that Commander Harkins is far from finished."

The hacker took a sip from his coffee and his eyes wandered momentarily to his third screen which displayed the video footage of the building's lobby. He spit out his drink when he saw a dozen tactical commandos rush towards the stairs and threw what was left straight in the garbage: "My apologies everyone; it seems that we'll be cut short due to technical difficulties, but I hope to bring you some new exciting broadcasts next time. This is DV signing off."

DV cut the transmission while cursing and brought up his network's command console. He then initiated his 'kill all' command, forcing each computer through a complete reformat and hard disk scramble. The door to his apartment blew open and armed men stepped through an instant later with their guns trained on him: "Don't move!"

DV raised both hands while smiling nervously: "Ok guys um… I know these look like computers, but they are only to compile my tax income. You know how complex it gets each year, right?"

**XXXXX**

"The following maneuver is called the Tip of the Spear," said Dostya while pressing a button on her console. Multiple screens lit up behind her and showed simulations, data projections and energy calculations: "We do not have the numbers to support a full frontal assault on the entire UEF border and attacking the Aeon directly is impossible because of the distance involved. Our technology has always been centered on stealth and cunning and as such we cannot simply make impregnable fortresses and turtle our way on a world until sufficient forces arrive like the Aeon would."

The main screen showed a picture of the galactic map and a line appeared from the middle of Cybran territory and into UEF controlled space: "Fortunately, we do not need to destroy the UEF lines, but rather simply slice through it and strike at the heart. Our strongest weapon will still be the same as always: control of information and disinformation."

Side screens lit up in response, showing screen footage of past battles: "Through the past decades, we have been careful to limit our attacks to a few pilots at a time, suggesting that our numbers are small and that we could not support a full-fledged assault. Our enemies have taken some bad habits because of this and we will exploit them."

Eight ACU icons appeared on the main screen on different points of a UEF controlled world near the Cybran border: "Our best pilots – the Tip of the Spear - will lead the assault through the UEF lines and complete other primary and secondary objectives as the situation evolves. One of their primary objectives will be for the pilot with the most secured site to build a gate nexus. Doing this will lower the energy requirements to transport additional ACUs and SCUs."

Kazuo lifted his hand: "We will not be retreating after our primary objectives are complete?"

"That is what we have always done and that is what the UEF is expecting," said Dostya with a nod: "Instead, we will send additional commanders to take over the base while the Tip of the Spear moves to the next world in line. The commanders that stay behind will have two objectives: to keep the landing site secured and help other commander upgrade their ACUs once they gate in."

Gauge grunted and leaned forward in his seat: "I like our ACU upgrades as much as anyone, but having multiple ACUs defending a base won't do us any good. There are only so many resources to harvest in a given area and using commanders as bots is a god damn waste."

"Upgraded commanders will not stay behind to defend the base, but perform decoy attacks," said Dostya even as the main screen zoomed in on a planet: "They will be upgraded with the microwave laser, engineering suite and the teleporting module. Once their upgrades are completed, they will teleport to targets of opportunity. Their appearance all over the planet will make the UEF think that we are gating multiple fresh ACUs, but that won't be the case. Any UEF ACU that makes a jump to try and stop a Cybran commander will find himself facing uneven odds."

A murmur moved through the assembled Cybran pilots and Dostya gave them a few moments before continuing: "Once the Tip of the Spear has secured a foothold on another world, the commanders will move back to the gate nexus and begin gating so that the sequence can be repeated again. Once all pilots are off the planet, the gate nexus will be abandoned and destroyed, closing any way of easily returning home or using our facilities to pursue us."

The murmur increased and Dostya could hear many questions concerning The tip of the Spear, civilian casualties and the UEF response. She raised her voice to catch all of their attention again: "Many will die."

The room quieted instantly as she continued: "If the Tip of the spear fails then the entire operation will collapse and the odds of any other pilot surviving will drop drastically. I would rather that the ACU commanders that are on decoy missions avoid civilian casualties, but I hold no illusions that each world that we go through will be left in ruins. Finally, we expect that the UEF will catch on to our tactics after we run through a few worlds. Cybran commanders on decoy missions might suddenly find multiple UEF ACUs transporting in their area at the same time and some will fall in battle."

Valerie nodded calmly, apparently unperturbed by the thought of her fellow pilots dying: "And our final target?"

"We don't know what it will be," admitted Dostya: "Maybe it will be the Avatar-of-War or some other political target that could throw the Aeon Illuminate into chaos. Maybe a UEF super weapon or perhaps our mastery over the quantum gate will be sufficient to permanently affect it somehow. Analysis suggests that those that embark on this mission will most likely never return home. If we don't do something, however, then we won't have a home to return to."

Everyone in the room was uncomfortable with the idea, but none would dispute the claim. One disadvantage of having an implanted AI was that it was easy for just about everyone to see what the numbers hinted at instead of simply dismissing them or relying on blind faith.

"For now you will all be divided into teams of three people and sent on different missions," said Dostya while bringing a data pad up: "You are expected to complete your objectives, but most importantly you are expected to get to know each other, learn from one another and establish some kind of understanding. You don't have to like each other… but it does not mean that you can't grow to respect and appreciate your respective capabilities. Now the teams will be as follows…"

Dostya went through a list of names before turning to Kazuo: "Kazuo, Gauge and Valerie, you are the next team."

The pilot from the Jade Node swallowed nervously and turned towards Gauge who only grunted.

**XXXXX**

Two guards stood by the door, their hands on their weapons and their eyes fixed firmly on DV. There was no doubt in the hacker's mind that it was an intimidation technique and unfortunately, he had to admit that it worked. He had always imagined that one day he would get caught in the middle of something big and that somehow all the time that he had spent in first person shooter games would pay off. He had contemplated rushing the guards for a moment just to see what would happen, but he had to remind himself that it was not a game and there was no reload feature. Things felt a lot different when real weapons were involved.

The door opened and a female officer stepped through with a data pad in her hand. DV recognized the scar near her left eye and knew without a doubt that she was Samantha Clarke. She did not even look at the hacker as she took the seat in front of him and started reading the data pad: "Samuel 'DV' Richards, twenty-nine years old male, born in Old Illinois after the red viral outbreak. You are accused of over eighty virtual crimes, the sum of which is guaranteed to earn you several life sentences."

Samantha lowered the data pad and looked at DV straight in the eyes: "Now is the only time to convince us that you could be of some other use. Otherwise, we have fully automated facilities that wait on the edge of Aeon controlled space. I'm sure you'll find your stay there very comfortable… until they show up."

DV smiled nervously: "I have seen how you pilot, Commander Clarke, and I know this is a bluff. A few other pilots might not think twice about sending SCUs to their doom to gain some time, but I have seen how carefully you deploy them. You won't send a UEF citizen to his doom, not like this."

The door opened and DV gasped when he saw who entered: "It's unfortunate for you that the decision to send you to such a facility does not belong to her, it belongs to me."

The two guards next to the door stood at attention as Riley stepped into the room and Samantha whirled in surprise. DV found himself flinching unconsciously, realizing in how much trouble he was in: "M… mister President."

"You can probably guess that I have no time to waste, so I'll be blunt," said Riley as he took a few steps inside the room: "Your hacking attempts have compromised one of the best security protocols in our network which governs many of our key systems. I need to know how it was breached, how to fix it and if anyone else is aware of the flaw. Failure to answer could cost millions of lives in a matter of days and believe me when I say that I will not let that happen, no matter the cost. Now, will you cooperate or do you think that I'm bluffing as well?"

Riley placed both hands on the table and looked down at the hacker who dropped his head a little lower. DV considered his options for a few seconds longer before sighing audibly: "Your encryption codes are not compromised; neither I nor anyone that I know has managed to break it."

The look in the President's eyes clearly showed that he would not be satisfied with such an answer and DV elaborated: "A lot of us tried and some even went through massive group efforts to pierce it. At one point, there were over two hundred of us and it still wasn't enough. Finally, the one person that had the answer was one of your server administrators in charge of maintenance. We don't know who he is, but he simply discovered that the disks sent to the archive were not encrypted and he copied them before completing the delivery. He can only copy one every few weeks to avoid suspicions and he sells it to me for a few thousand credits. That's all there is to it."

Samantha sighed in relief and entered the information in her data pad: "That should be enough to track down the breach. I'll give this to our internal division so that they can track him down…"

The President leaned forward again, his gaze uncompromising: "Who are the other hackers that you have been working with?"

"I only know their virtual names and that's about it," confessed DV with a wince: "I don't know who they really are, where they live, what religion they pray to or if they pay their taxes or not. Some might even be Cybran or Aeon hackers and there's no way to know for certain to what faction they belong to. Each of us is very careful about our real life information and the second that they realize that I've been caught then they'll burn all traces of virtual contact with me. There's no way to catch them all."

Riley smiled for the first time: "Oh I don't want to catch them… I want them to manifest themselves."

Samantha looked from the President to the hacker repeatedly: "Sir?"

Riley ignored her and spoke to DV: "You watched the replays and you probably saw a few of them end in a complete system crash, correct? We believe that the Cybrans are behind it and are using some new system to temporarily control the information circulating through the quantum network. It is likely that if there were Cybrans attempting to help you decipher our high level encryption codes that they might be aware of that system. If we can draw them out somehow then maybe we can track them and end that threat once and for all."

"You don't know what you are asking…" said DV, growing pale as the prospect sunk in.

"I know that the Cybrans are trying to take control of the gate network and that if they succeed then it's the end for all of us," said Riley, his voice growing deadly serious: "They will be able to stop us in our tracks and attack anywhere and at any time. Do this for me and I'll give you a full presidential pardon and perhaps even a place as one of our tech specialists. You'll have access to equipment that you could only dream of. Don't…"

Riley frowned darkly for a moment before continuing: "And you'll be accused of treason with every consequence that it implies."

**XXXXX**

The presence was at home in the quantum network, an entity whose form defied comprehension. Its mind could not be compared to that of a human since any living creature only had one consciousness and had limits in terms of multi-tasking. QAI had no limits or rather none that had been discovered so far.

The quantum network was designed to transport entire ACUs and other forms of transportation through the galaxy. Compared to such a feat, transferring any amount of data was exceedingly simple. The amount of information that transited through the quantum network could almost be compared to what was happening in the real world and its complexity would boggle any living mind.

It was through this sea of information that QAI's multiple consciousnesses moved; analyzing, adapting, changing and evolving every second. Those hundreds of consciousnesses collided periodically, exchanging information before returning to their tasks and affecting QAI's global awareness. It was after such a collision that QAI became aware of a live broadcast in UEF space.

"Hello gentle viewers," said the transmission, the voice being automatically associated with the hacker known as DV: "First I'd like to apologize for cutting you off yesterday, but I just had some startling news. It appears that someone managed to sneak a transmitter in a UEF control center. This will allow us to not only see a battle as it happens, but it might also allow us to compare the encrypted and non-encrypted information in real time. I'm not sure if you all understand what I'm hinting at, but if we all work together then we might find what we need to break that encryption code and then we'll be able to witness live replays for a few months at least! So I want everyone competent in signal hacking to join me on my channel as we start analyzing this. We'll first begin with…"

QAI's awareness accelerated, working in nanoseconds instead of real time. Requests were sent to many of its lesser consciousness and it did not take it long to realize the benefits of breaking the UEF encryption codes. The artificial intelligence was about to assist DV's efforts, but its main data loop paused, looking at the situation from one of its more 'instinctive' programs. Doctor Brackman had encouraged it to develop it's understanding of humanity and while QAI could see the possible benefits, it could also see the potential traps.

The UEF could not truly harm QAI nor could anyone else. As long as the quantum network existed then some part of the artificial intelligence could hide in a system and recompile its main consciousness afterwards. On the other hand, if one of QAI's important nodes such as his primary mainframe on Procyon was destroyed then it could jeopardize its efforts to gain mastery over the quantum network. Gaining control of the quantum network was one of QAI's top priorities and it would be the cornerstone of the Cybran's victory in the near future.

QAI used a few more nanoseconds before coming to another conclusion. Instead of processing the information itself, it forwarded all the available data to the Sunam Node. Its hackers were some of the best and they would enjoy such a juicy piece of information. Also, unlike QAI, they were expendable. QAI knew that doctor Brackman would not approve of such a logical conclusion and it immediately stored the data in one of its more obscure thought process. Humans could grow upset over the silliest of notions and QAI wanted to keep Doctor Brackman happy while also completing its main objectives.

Once the data was safely stored away, QAI used one of its lesser consciousnesses to emulate satisfaction. Soon, the artificial intelligence would learn what it meant to be a human and then it would truly be complete; a presence that would exist on every level of reality. Humans had a specific word for such a being; they called it a god.

**XXXXX**

Rhiza dipped two of her fingers in the small pot in front of her and lifted them slowly. She looked at her face in the mirror and carefully applied the white makeup on her face; drawing a line starting bellow her right eye and going down along her cheek. She repeated the motion on the other side of her face, completing the symmetrical pattern.

The makeup had originally been designed to complete the function of a pilot's suit. An Aeon ACU was designed to read the pilot's body movements, interpreting instinctive reactions and allowing the war machine to replicate them. The makeup helped the optical reader to analyze any head movement whenever a pilot decided to remove his or her helmet. Rhiza preferred to fight that way so that her enemies could see the unwavering dedication in her eyes whenever she hailed them. Maybe if they saw what true determination really was then they would finally understand what they were up against and let go of their sinful ways.

The pilot looked down at her arms and watched as streams of light circulated along her suit in response to her movements. It would keep her warm, monitor her life signs, regulate her body functions and even seal a minor wound should something in the cockpit ever explode. Satisfied that everything was in order, Rhiza left the barracks and made her way to her ACU.

**XXXXX**

DV watched the ratings soar as more and more people logged on to the live quantum cast to either watch or help with the decryption efforts. He had always been amazed to see how many people were interested in replays, but he had never expected that those numbers would quadruple for a live one. Under normal circumstances, he would have been ecstatic at being so popular, but somehow, being in the middle of the UEF control center surrounded by armed guards and analysts was not as heartwarming as his small apartment.

Samantha leaned over DV and frowned: "Should we start tracking the signal locations?"

The hacker shook his head and crossed his arms: "The second that even one of them realizes that they are being tracked then all of our friends will disappear. If you want those Cybran hackers to stay for a few more seconds then you need to wet their appetite first."

Samantha looked back towards Riley, but the President nodded in approval and she let it go. Part of her hated the situation since they were using one of the new encryption algorithms that had been under development for the past four months. They needed to use a genuine one to draw their enemy. Having it broken now would not affect their current operations, but what if they needed it in the coming weeks?

DV waited a few moments longer before nodding: "They are hooked now…"

The President stood up and spoke in a voice that reached across the entire control room: "Begin tracking operations immediately. Catch those Cybrans!"

The entire room went into motion with everyone working furiously at their stations. The main tactical screen displayed the principle information hubs of the quantum network and every hacker appeared on it as they were tracked down. To Samantha's annoyance, over a hundred of those were in UEF territory, hackers that wanted to see the live replays for their own enjoyment without realizing that they were compromising their very security.

A few points appeared in Aeon territory and DV nodded quickly: "Seraphim Two, it's not new that they have a few of their people trying to monitor the quantum network. They are usually easy to identify in a chat room though."

Samantha looked at the hacker and raised an eyebrow: "How?"

"They don't make enough spelling mistakes," said DV with a shrug: "They don't like word contractions or abbreviations and most of all they don't talk dirty. Conversations shift quickly over the quantum network and you'd be surprised on how many suddenly take a turn towards lewd subjects. That and they fail at cat picture threads."

A scowl formed on Samantha's face but she was interrupted when a few icons appeared in the same region of Cybran space. DV double checked the data and then pointed at the screen: "There they are. You'd better move fast because it won't take them long to realize that we tracked them."

"But we checked that area three months ago and there was nothing there," objected Samantha. She turned towards Riley while hoping that he would back her up, but he gazed at her without flinching: "Now there is. Send in the strike team now."

Samantha pressed a series of buttons and selected the maximum number of pilots that they could send with their current energy reserves. Their faces appeared on the main tactical screen and she immediately recognized Arnold and Desjar: "Everyone get ready, you will gate in two minutes."

**XXXXX**

Marxon stood in the command center, his eyes moving slowly from one tactical screen to the other. He was not analyzing the information like an analyst or a machine would. Instead, he was simply keeping his mind open to everything and looked for the element that did not belong.

The Avatar-of-War felt… no… he knew beyond any doubt that the UEF would try something soon. Rushed actions had something that accompanied them, a nervous sense that was not normally there in a long established plan or the familiarity of the mundane. Some people performed better under pressure, but they also became easier to read and to anticipate. Such was human nature… 

Marxon closed his eyes for a moment and listened intensively to everything that was happening in the room, seeking those rash elements and that sense of nervousness. He heard the sudden shift of bodies as well as the sound of someone moving quickly along his console at the other end of the room. The Avatar opened his eyes and made his way to one of the analysts in charge of monitoring the quantum network. He looked at his console briefly and absorbed both the analyst's body language and the frantic pace at which data appeared on his screen: "There, this is it."

The analyst turned a questioning look towards Marxon, but the Avatar ignored him: "Charge the gates and have our attack group ready for an immediate launch. The UEF is moving and their target is in Cybran territory."

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 4 **

**Evacuation **

Delphi moved through the corridors of the research facility with a serene smile on her face. The sound of giggling and rapidly approaching footsteps around the corner warned her of the imminent impact and she gracefully moved aside. A pair of teenagers rushed around the corner and narrowly missed her. A third one was desperately trying to catch up to his friends, but underestimated his speed and tripped while trying to turn around the corner. Delphi reacted with inhuman speed, catching the child and smoothly absorbed his momentum: "Be careful; you won't win your game of tag if you do not learn how to stop."

The child managed to get back up and smiled shyly: "Sorry, Mistress Delphi."

He was obviously avoiding her gaze, but Delphi could not fault him. In a nation where cybernetic implants were the norm, she was still considered an oddity. Red lines covered most of her body, a testament to the multiple of operations that she had gone through. As a child, she had been one of the few survivors of the colico plague, a disease that destroyed a human's entire nervous system and severely weakened bones. Fortunately for Delphi, her father had been a brilliant doctor and had labored daily to save her.

All of her bones had been laced with light alloys and hundreds of implants regulated her muscles or assisted in her movements. In the end, she had become stronger and faster than any human and she had inherited her father's legacy as one of the best cybernetic doctors in the Cybran nation. Her father's only regret was that he had only been able to help one of his two daughters.

"They do have a lot of energy," came a voice from behind Delphi. She turned around and smiled when she saw Peuran walk towards her: "I'm sure that our famous chief of security can handle them. Or if all else fails, he could always convince their parents to dedicate more time to find a babysitter."

The chief of security chuckled and pointed towards Delphi's belt: "Is that for your sister?"

Delphi nodded and patted the disk case carefully: "It took a long while to gather all of that information and I think she will enjoy it. I'm heading to her right now if you're interested."

Peuran was about to answer, but a sound like distant thunder interrupted him and red emergency lights started flashing in the corridor. The chief of security quickly brought a hand to his right ear and listened to a report. His earphone was so well made that not even Delphi's enhanced cybernetic hearing could pick it up, but she did see his eyes widen in shock. Peuran dropped his hand and quickly reached for her: "You have to evacuate right now! Get to the roof and board one of our transports loaded with a deceiver immediately."

"We've been through this before, Peuran," answered Delphi stubbornly: "My sister is in this facility and I'm not leaving without her. Our pilots are very good and they will hold off the enemy long enough to move the entire building. We…"

The chief of security shook his head furiously and interrupted her: "This is not like before; you have to move right now! You're too important for us to lose!"

Peuran tried to emphasis his point by pushing Delphi towards the elevator, but she instantly shifted her stance and stopped him cold. He looked at her face then and saw her eyes narrow in determination: "You can't move me if I don't want to Peuran. You're no match for me in a contest of strength."

The chief of security stopped pushing and smiled sadly: "I know."

Delphi was about to ask him to stand aside when she felt a jolt of electricity course through her body. She collapsed to the ground; her implants temporarily disrupted and mentally cursed herself. She realized now that Peuran had used a sleight of hand trick, slipping a disrupter into his palm prior to reaching out for her.

Fury filled Delphi's chest as she was carried away into the emergency lift, but all of her efforts barely translated into a few twitches and muffled groans. They reached the roof in but a few seconds and Peuran handed her to a pair of soldiers who carried her to the transport. Delphi could see Peuran look back at her and her rage was apparently quite visible. He sighed deeply but lifted a hand: "I'll do everything that I can to save her, you have my word."

Delphi's fury melted when she recognized the determined but hopeless look in Peuran's eyes. He was staying behind knowing fully well that he would not survive. Delphi tried to reach forward; to cry an encouragement or merely apologize, but her implants had not recovered yet. The doors closed and the transport lifted of in a hurry, flying away before the UEF reached them.

**XXXXX**

"Oh my god…" whispered Doctor Brackman, his eyes widening as QAI forwarded the necessary data on his screen. Twelve UEF ACUs had gated around the Sunam Node and were pushing straight for the city. Normally the UEF gated a smaller number of ACUs in the same spot, established a base and then carefully moved forward. This usually gave a well prepared Cybran Node enough time to evacuate most of the population before the war reached the city and limited civilian casualties.

Now, however, it appeared that the target was the city or something in it and a newly created fighter screen was patrolling the area to block any escape attempt. Only a small group of stealth transports escorted by Gemini fighters managed to punch through before the UEF's blockade was fully established. Sending additional Cybran ACUs in the fight was possible, but any commander gating in the middle of the fight when the UEF already had a head start would not be capable of mounting a significant army. Their only hope was that the UEF would only take what it needed and decide to spare the civilians.

The screen suddenly zoomed out and new information appeared which crushed Brackman's last hope. Additional quantum signatures had been detected on Minerva and an analysis showed that they were of Aeon origin. The holographic projection brought a hand to his forehead in consternation: "How did this happen?"

Had Doctor Brackman not being so distracted, he would have noticed QAI's hesitation and the way that it formulated its response: "The exact cause is unknown."

**XXXXX**

Arnold finished upgrading his ACU with a personal shield generator and looked at his sensors to confirm that the Cybran forces were still boxed in. Some part of him found it almost unusual that everything was going according to plan and he half expected to wake up from his delusions at any moment. Samantha's face appeared on his monitor and he could see that she was addressing all UEF pilots simultaneously: "The perimeter is secured, deploy troops now and move in to take the city. Capture all facilities and download any relevant information. A squad of specialized commandos will be deployed when the city is secured to assist in the manipulation of prisoners."

"Time to get this show on the road," said Arnold as he pressed the controls to move forward, but Desjar's face immediately appeared on his monitor: "Hold up, don't move ahead like that!"

"I always move with my troops, lube boy," said Arnold with a shrug: "You should know that by now. Besides, those Cybrans are cowards and their ACUs probably slid through our lines as soon as we gated in."

Arnold was about to add that he did not really enjoy being told what to do, but Desjar shook his head quickly: "You spent most of your time on the Aeon front, old buddy, but I spent a few years fighting Cybrans. They never face you directly unless they're backed in a corner. If you were in their shoes and you were the only thing standing between your enemy and your home then what would you do?"

The thought of taking as many enemies as possible entered Arnold's mind immediately, but somehow he had a hard time thinking that a Cybran could do something like that. His doubts were erased when the cries of another pilot reached them: "Incoming enemy forces and they are slicing right through me!"

Red dots flashed repeatedly over Arnold's tactical maps, the sure sign that stealth Gemini fighters were engaging their northern air force. Dozens of mantises and loyalists appeared out of nowhere afterwards and attacked the commander's base. The UEF ACU could have held on long enough for reinforcements to arrive if not for the telltale red microwave laser that burned a hole through its forward troops. The few titans and turrets that were left immediately focused fire on the Cybran ACU as soon as it entered the UEF commander's Omni field. Arnold heard the frantic cries for help, but it was too late now and it only took a few seconds for the laser to burn through the ACU's power core. The explosion from the UEF ACU was enough to finish off the damaged Cybran and their twin explosions lit up the battlefield.

"This is Desjar," said the other pilot, addressing all nearby UEF forces: "I advise each of you to deploy a progressive line of Omni sensors as you close in on the city and disable those left behind to save energy. That should ward off any other surprises and allow you to pull back should your current sensor be destroyed."

There was a brief pause before Samantha's face appeared on their screen again: "I want everyone to follow Colonel Desjar's advice and lay down Omni sensors. I don't want any more incidents."

Arnold snapped back to reality, having been temporarily distracted by the fact that it could have been him blowing up instead of that other pilot. He queued the construction of an Omni sensor and assembled his ground forces into a wedge formation before opening a private channel to Desjar: "That was a nice call back there and I might even owe you an apology."

Desjar winked back at him with traces of his old smirk emerging: "The famous Zachary Arnold apologizing? The galaxy might never recover from that one."

That brought a sneer from Arnold. Despite the fact that he was annoyed, he had to admit that he had missed fighting alongside Desjar: "Don't burn through your retirement funds yet, lube boy. I said that I might have to apologize, but I never said I would."

The two pilot's banter was interrupted when an Earthcom officer's face appeared on their screen: "Signs of Aeon activity have been detected north of your position at a distance of thirty kilometers. We estimate that it will take them at least twenty minutes before they can mount a significant force to interfere with the mission. We advise completing your objectives before that happens. Earthcom out."

"Well that's more like it," said Arnold while cracking his fingers: "I feel better now that things are back to normal. There was no way that it could have been that easy."

**XXXXX**

Gauge was nearly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information that appeared on his screen: probabilities, power analysis, sensor sweeps, angle of attacks, frequency scans and about two dozen other screens that blinked back and forth. He tried to follow all of it for a few seconds longer before slapping a fist on his console and shutting off the data feed: "Bah! I'm a commander, not an analyst."

Kazuo's eager face appeared on his screen: "I know it's a lot at first, but your AI should lighten the load over time! After a while, you no longer even see all of that information, but it still gets in your head. Every Jade Node pilot uses that interface."

"Listen twerp," his booming voice echoing in his cockpit: "If I wanted to be a living computer then I'd just plug a cable at the back of my skull instead of putting a Christmas tree in the middle of my screen."

Gauge thought that his gruff tone had been clear enough to make sure that the Jade Node pilot would shut up, but it was clear that Kazuo had missed the hint: "No, no! You must never interface directly with the AI. A single short-circuit in your cockpit could travel through the wire and into your brain and then you would go down like a puck."

"You mean 'down like a rock'," came the interruption. Both pilots were startled as Valerie's face appeared on their screen. The Assumpta assassin's ACU had just returned from its scouting mission. With its stealth and cloaking field active, the only sign of her presence was the occasional dust cloud that rose from the ground. The three of them had been deployed on a UEF controlled world along the Cybran border on a routine spying mission. Gauge grunted in annoyance at having been caught off guard and turned his ACU to face Valerie: "Anything?"

"The outpost is on high alert," reported the assassin carefully: "They have deployed scouts in a circling pattern and their fusions reactors are working at peak efficiency. I could not get any closer without risking detection."

Valerie turned her head to Kazuo as she finished her sentence and saw him gesture frantically: "We've been detected, we have to flee!"

Gauge's deep voice interrupted Kazuo: "Keep your pants on, mouse. What those fancy diagnostic tools of yours are not telling you is that if they knew we were here then those scouts would be sent all around the planet instead of circling the base. My guess is that UEF troops will soon transit through that base."

The Cybran lifted a hand and closed it into a fist: "This is the perfect time to attack and the three of us can destroy their plans before they even know what happened!"

"We are here to spy, not to raid," warned Valerie with a frown: "Attacking without proper backup or information would be foolish."

The assassin's words were lost on Gauge who snarled angrily: "I did not picture the Assumpta to be such cowards, but in the Scorch Earth Node we kick the UEF whenever we catch it with its pants down."

The Assumpta assassin shrugged impassively, apparently quite willing to let Gauge attack the base alone. The two of them entered a staring contest as if one could impose his will upon the other, but Kazuo interrupted them: "Information from home: the Sunam Node is under attack! That's why the UEF outpost is on high alert."

"That settles it," said Gauge with a snort: "We attack!"

"No, we wait and continue with our original mission," objected Valerie stubbornly. She ignored Gauge's threatening glare as she added: "Our forces on Minerva will handle the invasion, but they might need a distraction… a precisely timed distraction. We must be patient and wait for the right moment to strike instead of tipping our hand."

Gauge looked from Valerie to Kazuo and it was obvious that the Jade Note pilot would side with the assassin. He then snorted and pointed a threatening finger at Valerie: "I won't forget this…"

**XXXXX**

Rhiza looked at the red plains that surrounded them and allowed her mind to wander as her ACU focused its energies to complete its shield upgrade. What kind of people could live in such a forsaken place? No trees, animals or any indications of a life cycle. The few scrubs of vegetation were either dead or dying, a testament to the Cybran's lack of respect for life. No doubt it made it easier for them to remain hidden when a simple gust of wind could erase all tracks. The planet's entire atmosphere was most likely regulated by a few well hidden recycling plants. In the end, it only confirmed their lack of humanity… and that they deserved to be cleansed.

"If one's environment is a reflection of one's soul then Cybrans must truly be damned," observed Ariel in contempt. Her comment interrupted Rhiza's train of thought and she looked back at the seven other pilots that were busily setting up a base. The Avatar-of-War had predicted that the UEF would move, but even he had been surprised that it had been against the Cybrans. Of the twenty pilots that had been ready to gate, only eight had been in proximity to portals that could channel enough energy. Even though their numbers were limited, their goal was still clear: they would stop the UEF from gaining any advantage and they would cleanse all Cybrans along the way.

"Are you implying that the UEF is any better?" asked Rhiza. Her question apparently angered Ariel who snorted: "The UEF might have a more complete terra forming project, but their environment speaks of the corruption hidden within. Toxic waste dumps and sins alike are buried deeply and hidden from view even as they poison the heart of their society. The minds that manage to escape the taint are few and far between."

Rhiza let the matter drop, knowing fully well how emotional Ariel could get when talking about the UEF. Even after all these years, Marxon's protégé had not forgiven them for the murder of her entire family. Rhiza knew that a hot festering anger lay dormant beneath Ariel's calm facade. The other pilot would never publicly admit it, however, if for no other reason that it would affect Marxon's reputation.

The Avatar-of-War's face suddenly appeared on her monitor as if to challenge her last thought: "This is the Avatar-of-War Marxon to all commanders. UEF forces have been located south of your position. They are apparently busy taking over a Cybran node and are most likely trying to steal information or take prisoners. If the Cybrans have somehow found or developed some kind of new edge in this war then the UEF must not gain a hold of it."

Their tactical zoomed in on the Cybran node as the Avatar-of-War laid out his orders: "I want all of you to proceed south while deploying forward staging areas as you go and wage an all-out assault until the UEF is driven away from this area. Once that objective is complete, cleanse the Cybran settlement. All Aeon commanders are expected to upgrade their command units with the enhanced sensor system to foil Cybran sneak attacks. Marxon out."

Rhiza nodded and coordinated her movements with the other seven commanders. The Aeon Illuminate moved as one; a single unstoppable force that would let nothing stand in its way.

**XXXXX**

Another nuclear explosion lit the field and temporarily darkened Arnold's screen. When the flash died down, he saw the last of the Cybran army self-destruct, leaving a clear path towards the city: "Three kills and one loss. That's a good sign."

A thought suddenly crossed Arnold's mind and he opened a channel back towards Earthcom: "How about we face those Aeon clowns instead of turning tail and running? With the distance involved, they could not have brought that many commanders on the planet, right? It would be fun to see them running for a change."

Samantha's face appeared on his screen and frowned: "That is not our mission, Commander Arnold. The data contained within the Cybran node might be the key to saving thousands of lives. Each delay plays in the Cybrans favor; giving them opportunities to escape, erase the data or summon reinforcements. Focus on your objectives. If all goes well and the gate nexus is completed then you will be off Minerva before the brunt of the Aeon forces reaches you."

The face disappeared from Arnold's screen and left him to curse silently. Still, it was hard to argue with that logic and he plotted a course for the node with eight other ACUs. The remaining two stayed behind and began the construction of a gate nexus.

**XXXXX**

Peuran moved frantically, handing night vision goggles and high powered laser rifles to everyone that had not managed to escape. Two more Cybrans entered the room and he was momentarily stunned when he recognized the pair of researchers: "What the hell are you two doing here? You were supposed to be evacuated with the rest of the research team!"

The chief of security still handed them the goggles and rifles as the woman spoke: "Our children were in the facility. When we realized that they were not on the roof, we stayed behind to search for them. By the time that we found them, escape was no longer an option. We hid them in the laboratory and sealed it behind us. Hopefully they'll be safe there. What's going to happen now?"

Peuran pointed at different sections of the laser rifle in quick succession: "You aim through here, recharge here and be mindful of the cool down cycle. Since we haven't all exploded yet, my guess is that the UEF will capture each facility, download the data and then send in miniature Mech Marines to clear out any resistance before taking prisoners. If you see a Mech Marine then you aim at their processing core here."

Peuran pointed at his forehead to show where they should aim and then loaded his own laser rifle. The researchers nodded, but one of them raised a finger: "But how do we stop them?"

The lights suddenly dimmed as the facility was being captured by the ACUs outside and everyone in the room turned on their night vision goggle. Peuran made a final check on his laser rifle before answering the question: "We can't."

**XXXXX**

Delphi felt her implants realign as they finally recovered from the disruptor's effects. She opened her eyes and saw one of the researchers look down upon her with sad eyes: "I'm so sorry about your sister, Delphi."

The mention of her sister sent Delphi into action and she abruptly got up. She then rushed towards a nearby console and accessed the transport's communications array. Her fingers moved in a flash over the controls as she entered a rarely used frequency and a specific identification key coupled with an encryption code. She waited as a connection was being established and each second felt like an eternity. A masked face finally appeared on the view screen and Delphi sighed in relief: "I need your help!"

Redfog raised an eyebrow: "I heard that your node was taken over by the UEF, my condolences."

There was no genuine warmth behind the words and Delphi knew that the leader of the Assumpta Node was merely speaking them as a formality. At the moment, she did not really care: "My sister was left behind. I want her returned by any means necessary."

Redfog's voice remained perfectly neutral as he answered: "Many nodes have requested Assumpta assistance in exchange for future favors. It would be inappropriate for me to reassign…"

"I want you to do it," pleaded Delphi. She recovered her composure long enough to offer a confident nod: "Do this and I will consider your debt paid in full."

The assassin's face darkened, but Delphi went on regardless: "I restored you when your predecessor brought you to me all those years ago. No one else could have done it and I slaved for weeks to make you what you are today… or have you forgotten?"

"I have not forgotten," answered Redfog, the dark tone of his voice making it clear that he never would. The assassin's eyes lit up with such hatred that Delphi could almost feel them burning right through her. She still did not shrink away, however, determined to walk through the fires of hell itself for her sister.

Many more seconds passed before Redfog spoke again: "I cannot guarantee her return or her safety. Both UEF and Aeon forces have a head start and I will need to gather a substantial force to face them. By the time that we are ready, it might be too late."

Delphi nodded and felt her heart break when she spoke: "I want her returned one way or another. If you win the battle of Minerva then I will consider the debt paid whether she is alive or dead."

The assassin considered the proposition for a moment, nodded and then closed the channel. Delphi immediately sank to her knees and covered her face with both hands.

**XXXXX**

"Surrender now, you cannot win," came the automated voice: "You can only…"

A shadow darted around the corner and a red light flashed through the corridor. The laser beam pierced the diminutive Mech Marine's head and sent it crumbling to the ground. Peuran kept running, attacking the never ending stream of Mech Marines whenever he could in different spots of the complex. His only advantage was that no matter how small they were, those Mech Marines were still controlled by the ACU outside which could only support so many units at the same time. The one problem was that each unit that fell was immediately replaced by the land factory that had been set up at the research facility's doorstep.

The sound of laser beams followed by machinegun fire came from further down the corridor. Peuran knew by the sound of heavy metallic feet that they had just lost that exchange and that the Mech Marines were walking towards him. In one smooth motion, the chief of security slung his laser rifle behind his shoulder, jumped up, caught a water conduit and used his momentum to kick a nearby air vent open. He managed to slide into it and activate his signal scrambler just as the Mech Marines came around the corner.

The chief of security held his breath as they moved below him and only let it go when they were out of range. He then dropped down and made his way towards the spot where the confrontation had taken place. The wreckage of three Mech Marines and the corpses of four Cybrans waited for him there. Peuran recognized the bodies of the two scientists that had been trapped with them and mouthed a silent apology. He only paused long enough to pick up some unused power clips and then sprinted down the corridor. His only hope was that somehow, all of his efforts would distract the ACU pilot long enough for a Cybran node to come to their rescue. The odds were slim to none, but there was simply no other alternative.  
**XXXXX**  
**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 5 **

**Change in plans **

Arnold cursed loudly as he lost contact with two other Mech Marines. He quickly took control of a trio that was not far from that location, but by the time that they got there the Cybran was gone: "These guys are moving like hyperactive hamsters!"

No sooner had he spoken that Desjar's face appeared on his monitor with a concerned look on his face: "You should have neutralized that facility over two minutes ago, Zach. What's the problem?"

"That's easy for you to say, lube boy," grumbled Arnold as he performed another deep scan of the facility: "You had to capture a freaking garden just in case that it was a secret storage facility! I have a couple of guys here that are dancing around my Mech Marines and disappearing before I can catch up to them. It's annoying as hell!"

Arnold was about to add more, but he noticed that Desjar was already typing furiously, apparently scanning the structure: "Send all of your Mech Marines here. It looks like the fortified core of the research facility and if they have any scientists then they will be hidden there. Whoever's giving you trouble will try to stop you before you reach it."

"Fine, I'll try it your way," said Arnold: "And I'll even increase my Mech Marines' threat evaluation so that they shoot faster. If you're wrong though then I'm kicking you in the rear when this mission is over because it's going to be hell to secure those sectors again."

Desjar recognized the bluster for what it was and grinned knowingly: "And if I'm right?"

"Then you don't get kicked around," countered Arnold without missing a beat: "Were you hoping for a medal or something?"

Arnold focused on the situation again as fifteen of his Mech Marine reached an intersection leading to the core of the research facility. As if on cue, laser fire erupted from further down the corridor and sliced through the heads of three units in an instant. Arnold reacted quickly, forcing the units in the back to shoot through those that had just been disabled.

Debris and smoke filled the corridor and blocked the view on Arnold's monitor for a few moments. When it finally cleared, he was rewarded with the sight of three rapidly cooling bodies. The Mech Marines carried on with their orders, but Arnold manually controlled the one in the rear to take a good look at the dead Cybrans. He did not regret winning the fight, but he could not help but admire and respect his enemy's determination when faced with such a hopeless situation. Had the situation been reversed, he probably would have done the same.

Arnold closed his eyes for a moment to clear the image of the dead Cybran from his mind and pressed a few keys to switch his view to the lead Mech Marine. When he opened his eyes again, they had just reached a heavily fortified door and were in the process of tearing it down. A few well-placed shots created an opening large enough for the military units to force their way through and Arnold immediately realized that his goal was in reach: "Hey Earthcom, you'd better take a look at this because I think I just hit the jackpot."

A flick of a switch activated the Mech Marines' search lights and they immediately brightened the room. Computers and monitors covered every possible surface, but what really caught all the attention was the sight of a Cybran floating in a tank. A tight fitting jumpsuit covered her frail body, tubes were attached to her mouth and a cable was plugged into a cybernetic interface at the back of her neck. Samantha's face quickly appeared on Arnold's screen and nodded: "There were rumors of Cybrans interfacing directly with the quantum network, but it was never confirmed up until now. The recovery team has just been dispatched and will capture your target first. Make sure the corridors leading to the Cybran are secured."

"Roger that," confirmed Arnold while typing a few commands: "I'll… what the…"

Something had just appeared out of nowhere and slammed the Mech Marine's head. The sudden attack startled Arnold, but the unit responded automatically, twisting around to shove something away and then aiming its dual guns. Arnold barely had a quarter of a second to press a button to halt the attack. He sighed in relief when the walls were not painted in blood and quickly reset the Mech Marine's threat evaluation algorithms back to their standard parameters. He then spoke back in his open channel: "Earthcom, I just found something else in here…"

Hidden behind a console were three children including the one that the Mech Marine had just shoved away.

**XXXXX**

The ballistic projectile from the UEF demolisher connected solidly with Rhiza's personal shield, but her ACU kept moving forward without even slowing down. She had not even felt the impact from the safety of her cockpit and the only indication that she had been hit was the sound of her shields humming and the flashing indicator on her screen. Rhiza reflexively controlled one of her mobile shield generators to extend its field around her, but remained untroubled as they made their way towards the UEF forces. Her gaze was momentarily drawn to the wrecks of two ACUs that were not far away and they were so badly melted that she could no longer tell which had belonged to what faction.

A quick look at her sensors showed that UEF forces already had set up a well-entrenched base outside the node's perimeter and Rhiza doubted that they could overwhelm it so easily. She opened a channel to Ariel in order to express her concerns: "The UEF came well prepared for this fight it seems and I wonder if our forces will reach them in time. Should we break our formation and go on an all-out attack?"

"Do not doubt the Avatar-of-War's tactics," warned Ariel instantly: "His vision is flawless and should be followed without question."

Ariel's response did nothing to quell Rhiza's concerns, but Marxon's face appeared before she could reply: "Maintain formation and focus on your objectives. Not all hands have been played yet."

Rhiza looked on her screen, but frowned, unable to understand what the Avatar was hinting at.

**XXXXX**

There was a brilliant flash of light as Redfog's ACU appeared on the battlefield. Economic structures built by the two other Assumpta pilots that had gated ahead of him were transferred instantly and he went to work. Their stealth base was set up in a crater far away from the battle, but they could still follow its progression thanks to an Omni sensor that had been deployed. Redfog did not have to look at his tactical screen for long to understand that they were in trouble.

The UEF was in full retreat, apparently quite willing to abandon the pillaged node and let the Aeon cleanse the rest. What annoyed the assassin, however, was that the bulk of the Aeon was still moving in formation, making their way slowly but leaving no opening for a sneak attack. They were apparently expecting that the Cybrans would do something… and Redfog was quite willing to oblige.

If things kept progressing as they currently were then the UEF would evacuate the planet and the Aeon would march unimpeded, destroying all in their path until the Cybrans managed to gather enough pilots to stop them. Even Redfog was no match against eight Aeon ACUs and pilots from the other nodes were busy evacuating the surrounding sectors. What he needed was time and he knew exactly how to buy some.

**XXXXX**

Arnold let out a trembling breath, memories of the massacre of Orionis flashing in quick succession in his mind. Back then, he had been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Aeon civilians. The attack had been an accident, a combination of desperate actions mixed with inaccurate information. Knowing so did not diminish his responsibility… nor did it make the nightmares go away.

There were three of them, all boys that were probably between seven and eleven years old. Aside from their clothes, there were no traces that they were Cybrans. They had no implants or red facial circuitry and in other circumstances they could have been mistaken for ordinary children. Only their eyes were different as they were filled with an equal dose of fear and anger at having their home invaded.

Arnold was so absorbed by his own thoughts that he lost track of time and was startled when a UEF commando stepped in front of the Mech Marine with a sneer on his face: "Thanks for securing the corridors…"

The sarcasm was lost on Arnold who had other things on his mind as a tech commando analyzed the Cybran floating in the tank: "Earthcom, what should we do about these kids?"

Samantha's face appeared on his screen again and she was apparently busy monitoring all ACUs: "We don't have time to capture the whole node. Our commando team will secure your target and a few other potential candidates located in other facilities and then you will all evacuate."

"You didn't answer my question, Sam," replied Arnold angrily: "What do we do about these kids? The moment that we evacuate, the Aeon will kill everyone here including them!"

Arnold's outburst and breach of etiquette caught Samantha's full attention, but Desjar's face appeared before the situation could deteriorate any further: "I would like to point out that these children were found in a research facility. It is conceivable that they are part or even the product of a research experiment."

Samantha's face was replaced by Riley's who appeared to be in a foul mood: "What are you suggesting, Colonel Desjar?"

"Sir, what if they are the next generation of Cybran pilots?" suggested Desjar quickly: "Maybe they were biologically engineered or condition to create a superior breed, but we don't have the time to find out before the Aeons are upon us. If we have the spare room with our commando transports then it might be wise to take them with us."

The President apparently gave it some serious thought before nodding: "Make it so."

Arnold momentarily closed his link to Earthcom and sighed in relief. He then opened a channel to Desjar: "Thanks buddy, I owe you one."

"Don't thank me yet," answered Desjar with a wince: "I'm not sure whether we did them a favor."

**XXXXX**

Peuran's knuckles turned white in anger as every fiber in his being urged him to charge forward and kills as many UEF machines and commandos as he could. Only his training and the promise that he had made to Delphi held him in check. Dying in such futile odds would not save anyone and there was something else that he could do to help. Peuran ran down the corridor and pressed a button on his wrist computer: "This is Peuran. The UEF has captured our node and we cannot delay them any further. They are rounding up whoever they think might be worthwhile and they will take them away before the Aeon reaches us."

The chief security officer hesitated a moment before adding: "Delphi, if you're hearing this then you should know that they are taking your sister as well. I'll do whatever I can to save her."

Peuran searched for something else to say, but could think of nothing more. He stopped the recording and uploaded it to a hidden black box hidden deeply beneath their node. If a high ranking Cybran commander managed to secure what was left of the settlement then he would know where to look. With that out of the way, Peuran entered one of the dormitories and stripped off all of his equipment. If he could not save Delphi's sister then he could at least try and to follow her.

**XXXXX**

Traitor, betrayer, bastard, sellout... the words flashed through the chat room as each user disconnected. DV sighed deeply, but did not dare to comment on it. He was burned both emotionally and virtually. No hacker appreciated being tracked down and none would ever lift a finger again to help him. Still, it was not as if he had any choice in the matter.

"Take heart, Mister Richards," said Riley, apparently noticing his distress from his station: "Your efforts today have served to strike a critical blow against those terrorists."

The President's words did not comfort the hacker and even sent him into a deeper depression. The truth was that he did not really hate either Cybrans or Aeon and for good reasons. Part of the thrill of the quantum network was talking with everyone else out there and there was no way to know for certain if your buddy was from the same faction. He could suspect another person to be a Cybran because of his response time or an Aeon because of the way that he was too politically correct, but in the end, what did it matter? What if the road to peace was simple, honest and anonymous communication?

"We're ready to transport the prisoners and the commandos back mister President," reported Samantha. Her voice cut through DV's contemplation and he turned around just as Riley spoke: "What is the destination?"

"FortLytton and they have already made preparations," reported Samantha with a nod: "Trying to transport the prisoners any further would take a lot more energy and delay the evacuation of our pilots."

There was a brief pause as Riley considered Samantha's words, but then he nodded: "Very well, but I want them out of FortLytton as fast as humanly possible. Keep a close eye on our star subject."

Samantha nodded and relayed the orders to everyone around them. DV crossed his arms and watched as they all rush around the room to coordinate their efforts. His gaze was momentarily attracted to a screen displaying the Cybran prisoners. There were roughly fifteen of them bound in chains which included the three children and the one which had been plugged into the node's systems. That particular Cybran was laid out on a stretcher with a pair of combat medics monitoring her condition.

"Gate activation in five, four, three, two…"

DV listened to the countdown and the screen became blurry as soon as it reached zero. The image was restored a second later when the signal was rerouted through FortLytton. The hacker heard Riley get up in shock when the image showed that their star prisoner was in full convulsion: "What's going on? Patch me through this instant!"

"… Having a heart attack!" came the combat medic's response: "Strap her down and get me some…"

Riley slammed a fist in his console and interrupted the medic: "What the heck is going on back there? I need her alive and back on Earth, do you hear me?"

The combat medic barely looked up for a second before resuming his work: "No can do, sir. I don't know what's wrong with her, but we need to get her to FortLytton's medical facilities before we lose her. I've heard of gate sickness and people entering shock, but this is completely off the chart. Even if we stabilize her then she'll be too weak to survive another trip for a long while at least."

Riley's eyes darted left and right as he searched for a solution and his gaze finally met DV's: "You! You will depart for FortLytton immediately. If we can't get her here then we'll just have to do it there. I want you at her side within the hour and slicing through her AI. I want to know everything that she knows."

"Whoa, time out here!" protested DV while raising both hands: "I'm a civilian and not a soldier. Also, I've never heard of anyone actually slicing into a Cybran."

DV was about to object even more, but Riley waved it away: "Then consider yourself drafted. We'll also have eleven of the best ACU pilots gating in within the next few minutes so FortLytton will be one of the safest places in the galaxy very soon. You will obey me…"

DV looked in the President's eyes and could almost see the unspoken threat: 'I have not given you my presidential pardon just yet.'

**XXXXX**

A tactical missile flew through the battlefield, over the Cybran civilian structures and straight at Arnold's ACU. The Buzzkill tactical missile defense responded immediately, spraying the area with bullets and destroying the missile before it could reach its intended target. The debris still flew forward and collided with the ACU, but they barely scratched the surface. Arnold chuckled and pressed a few buttons: "Feels just like old time, doesn't it?"

Desjar sent his engineers forward to build a shield generator: "Yeah and as usual they always want to kill you instead of me. I think that's the only reason that Jessy still tolerates it when I talk about inviting you over."

Arnold was about to throw a colorful retort when Samantha's face suddenly appeared on both of their screens. He interrupted her before she could even open her mouth: "Hey Sam. Don't mind us and keep evacuating those other rookies, we got this covered on our end…"

"There's a change in plans," said Samantha, letting the breach in etiquette slip: "The two of you will be the first in line to gate to FortLytton."

For a moment, Arnold thought that Samantha was kidding, but then he straightened in his chair when he realized that she was not: "This is a joke, right? Is FortLytton under attack?"

Samantha shook her head: "Negative. However we can't transport one of our key prisoners off that planet until she's stabilized and that leaves the base wide open for a counter attack. We need you there to defend it."

"You want to pull two veteran commanders off the front line to baby-sit a base?" asked Arnold incredulously: "This is nuts!"

Arnold's outburst made Samantha glower at him: "You have your orders, Colonel."

Arnold slumped in defeat in his chair while Desjar tried to comfort him: "Don't worry buddy, we'll fight side by side again before this war is over."

**XXXXX**

Doctor Brackman watched the tactical screen with rapt attention while trying to figure out a way to salvage the situation. Dostya and other pilots were already on site, securing the surrounding nodes and assisting with their evacuation. Once the UEF had gated out, however, the Aeon would march across Minerva and thousands would die before they could be stopped.

A light suddenly blinked on the screen, indicating that there was a sudden increase in non-focused quantum energy on the planet. Brackman's hologram rubbed its chin as he understood what was happening: "This will be interesting."

**XXXXX**

Arnold's ACU materialized on the other side of the gate and for a moment, he felt as if his stomach had just switched places with his liver just for the fun of it. Gating had always unsettled him, but doing it twice in less than half an hour always made it worse. He wondered - and not for the first time - if Aeon and Cybran gates were just as bad.

"Please clear the gate and move towards hangar B six until further notice," came the sudden order from FortLytton's control center. Arnold grumbled under his breath as he complied: "As if I really wanted to just sit here and lay down a picnic just for kicks."

Arnold pressed a button in order to open both way communications: "Understood gate control."

Still grumbling, Arnold opened another channel back to Desjar who was still waiting back on the front line: "Hey buddy, I can't see any strip clubs from here so it's safe for you to gate in. Jessy won't kill you."

Desjar appeared distracted on his end as his fingers flew over the controls: "Yeah, I'll be there as soon as the gate nexus dissipates the effects from the quantum wake. Jessy usually likes it better when I come home with all of my molecules aligned correctly anyway."

Something in the tone of Desjar's voice caught Arnold's attention and he grew serious again: "What's the problem? You usually make wittier comebacks than that. Are things getting dicey back there?"

Arnold tried to mask his worry, but Desjar was still completely focused on the battle: "It's the Cybrans; they haven't shown up yet."

"Why would they?" asked Arnold with a shrug: "We kicked their butts in record time and you'd have to be pretty crazy to jump in the middle of a fray involving nearly twenty ACUs. You're just scaring yourself for no reason."

Desjar shrugged, but remained on his guards: "I'm not worried when I see a Cybran, but I do get nervous when I'm expecting one and I have no idea where it is."

The conversation was cut off as Samantha appeared on Desjar's monitor: "The quantum wake is dissipating and should be ready for the next transport in one minute. Transfer your military units and proceed to the quantum gate immediately."

Desjar acknowledged, but kept all communication lines open, giving advice to every other pilot out there. Arnold watched it all with mild amusement and whispered under his breath: "It shows that he became a dad. Filming his face on the first night where his girl will go on a date will be priceless."

Arnold was still chuckling when the report from another pilot caught his ear: "Cybran quantum gate detected four kilometers to the east, but there's nothing near it except a stealth generator. It appears to be fully powered."

"What?" said Desjar in confusion before typing furiously on his console: "Send scouts around our base; see if there are other gates nearby! We need to..."

Desjar's voice was cut off by Samantha's: "The quantum wake has been dissipated, prepare for transport."

What happened next was total confusion as multiple pilots spoke at the same time:

"Cybran quantum gate detected roughly four kilometers to the west…"

"How did they slip those so close to us?"

"Moving in on the gate now…"

"One more south of our position…"

"Enemy gate powering up… they are overloading!"

Arnold was about to ask what was going on when an explosion coming from the nearby quantum gate suddenly rocked the entire base. Understanding suddenly dawned on him and he rushed his ACU out of the hangar bay, tearing a docking ramp off without even realizing it: "Desjar! Speak to me buddy!"

A wall of smoke greeted him outside, obscuring everything. All quantum communication lines were filled with static and he could barely make out Desjar's voice: "…Legs…"

The words were interrupted by a fit of coughing and Arnold rushed forward through the smoke. The foot of his ACU suddenly struck something and it was only through lightning reflexes that Arnold managed to avoid tripping. When he looked down, he saw Desjar's ACU sprawled on the ground. Arnold made his ACU kneel, activated the emergency door release of his cockpit and rushed out, hopping down on Desjar's machine. Dust and smoke stung his eyes, but he ignored it as he scrambled forward: "Open up, lube boy! I'm not losing you over a stupid quantum gate malfunction, no way!"

To his relief, the ACU's cockpit suddenly rolled through its opening routine and a hand reached out through the entrance. Arnold grasped it and pulled Desjar up, helping the other pilot on top of his ACU. Desjar tried to take a breath, but ended up puking down all over his shirt.

Arnold moved frantically, trying to find a trace of a wound and quickly inspected the other pilot's legs. He did not find anything at first and kept looking for a whole minute before saying: "Your legs are fine, your legs are fine!"

Desjar wiped his mouth with his sleeve and pointed down the ACU with the other: "You… idiot…"

Arnold looked to where Desjar was pointing and finally noticed that the ACU's legs had been crushed during the gate's malfunction. Fortunately for the whole base, the war machine's power core was intact, but it would still require weeks to put it back together again. Arnold looked from Desjar to the ACU's legs several time before grinning stupidly. The grin turned into a giggle and then erupted into a full blown laugh.

The other pilot wiped some more drool from his mouth and appeared to be flustered: "What?"

Arnold managed to catch his breath long enough to speak: "Nothing it's just… I mean I'm glad that you're ok and all but… there's also the part of me that's glad that you finally feel as crappy as I do about gating!"

Arnold wiped the tear from his eye and tried to stop laughing. When he looked at Desjar's puke covered shirt and drooling face he could not help but start laughing again and had to sit down or risk falling over. Desjar tried to straighten his shirt as he looked at his friend: "That's not funny."

Arnold laughed even harder.

**XXXXX**

Redfog watched the timer on his screen increase as his instruments estimated the fallout. The timer settled on a number a few seconds later: twenty-three point five minutes… his plan had worked.

He and the two other Assumpta pilots had managed to sneak in quantum gates at precise intervals without the UEF noticing them. A systematic overload of those gates had produced a quantum wake that had short circuited the UEF nexus and caused it to explode. Now the effects of the quantum wake would prevent all forms of interplanetary travel for the next twenty-three point five minutes. The UEF would have no other choice but to face the Aeon forces now, nine pilots against eight.

The leader of the Assumpta node folded his hands in front of him and smiled wickedly. Things were about to get interesting…

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 6 **

**Galactic strategy **

The explosion over the UEF base was clearly visible from Rhiza's position and her instruments instantly detected the presence of a quantum wake. The energy wave washed over their troops, disrupting shield generators and sensors for a few seconds before dissipating. When it was over, Rhiza knew without a doubt that the UEF was trapped. Their forces were well entrenched, but their defenses had been planned in order to slow down the Aeon assault long enough for all of them to escape. Now the quantum wake had just extended their stay and they would need to dedicate a lot more of their forces to an actual battle. Attempting an escape afterwards without facing the Aeon Illuminate would be impossible without sacrificing many of their pilots.

Rhiza's thoughts turned to the Avatar-of-War and she finally understood why so many were in awe of his abilities. She did not truly understand how he had anticipated those events, but somehow he possessed a keen understanding of UEF and Cybran warfare. Thinking about it made her feel small, as if she was a piece being played in some galactic sized chess game.

The Avatar's face appeared on her screen and a quick look at her instruments confirmed that the transmission was directed at her and Ariel: "The Cybrans have played their hand and UEF forces are clearing out of the Cybran node. I want the two of you to break off from the main assault, head for the node and cleanse everything."

Rhiza frowned for a split second and she asked a question despite her better judgment: "Avatar?"

"The Cybran's response was anticipated, but it should not be without consequence," clarified Marxon calmly: "Cleansing that node will remind these abominations of the cost when trying to use the Aeon Illuminate as a weapon."

Marxon's words reminded Rhiza that they were indeed being used by their enemy and for a moment, she felt a hot flash of anger fill her heart. She redirected that anger and focused it into a form of righteous fury before nodding fiercely: "As you command, Avatar."

Marxon noticed the renewed determination and nodded approvingly.

**XXXXX**

The ACU moved with all speed through the battlefield while avoiding the many types of wreckage that covered it. The sudden appearance of six Mech Marines as they stormed out of a building did not slow the war machine down as it jumped over them, narrowly avoiding one before resuming its course. Redfog was not interested in a battle at that moment nor did he feel like revealing his position by destroying the insignificant units.

The UEF was pulling out of the Cybran node and this could very well be his only chance to accomplish his mission.

The assassin stopped in front of the main research facilities and initiated a scan, focusing on the room where his target should be. Unfortunately for him, there was no trace of Delphi's sister nor were there any other life signs in the facility. Redfog double checked the files that Delphi had given him and there was no doubt that she could not have moved on her own or without significant assistance. That left only one alternative: the UEF had captured her.

Although Redfog's plan to overload the UEF's quantum nexus had worked, he also knew that they had managed to use their gate a few times. If they had followed their standard procedures then that meant that the prisoners were off planet by now. The leader of the Assumpta Node growled softly, but did not stay idle for long, opening a link with the node's black box and copying its content while looking at the tactical map. UEF forces were in full retreat, most likely gathering in the same spot in order to make a stand. The Aeon forces on the hand were moving towards the node and Redfog did not doubt for a single moment that they would cleanse it.

Redfog spotted some movement on the corner of his screen and turned his ACU around. A dozen Cybrans were rushing out of a building and trying to make a run for it on foot. It was a valiant effort, but a futile one. An armored command unit was considered one of the slowest military units on the battlefield and even it could move faster than one hundred kilometers per hour. A look on his sensors confirmed that there were several thousand Cybrans that were either hiding or trying to find some other form of escape.

Redfog double checked that he had all the data that he required and then plotted a course out of the node. One civilian noticed the small clouds of dust from the ACU's footsteps and tried to run after him while shouting, but the assassin did not even slow down. Rescuing Delphi's sister while avoiding detection would have been nearly impossible, but trying to save thousands of Cybrans without a supporting army would be suicidal at best.

The ACU stopped when it was sufficiently far away and turned around just as the first Aeon units came into the node with their weapons blazing. Redfog stood impassively and recorded the images as the node burned.

**XXXXX**

A light passed over Desjar's eyes and he shied away reflexively. In the state that he was in, it almost felt as if the beam had shone all the way into his brain and his stomach still had not settled down. The man in front of him did a few other rudimentary tests and then nodded slowly: "It looks like a case of acute gate syndrome. Normally pilots only suffer from those after gating often in a short amount of time, but the incident that you were caught in most likely amplified the effects. You can expect sporadic loss of balance and blurry sight for a few days at least. I would recommend a lot of bed rest, but if you find the effects too distressing then I could ask Doctor Slutcher to prescribe you some scopolamine."

Arnold looked from Desjar to the man in front of them: "You're not a doctor?"

The man shrugged and put the miniature flashlight back into his pocket: "I'm actually an intern. All the other doctors are working on some classified patient that just arrived. I heard disturbing rumors that it was a Cybran or something…"

Arnold rolled his eyes, thoroughly annoyed that a Cybran was getting better treatment than them. He unzipped one of his frontal pockets, brought out a pair of wrapped pills and placed them in Desjar's hand: "Here, you can have some of mine instead."

The intern was about to object that it was against protocol to share medication, but Arnold fixed him with a glare before he could even open his mouth. The young man hesitated a moment longer before shrugging and finishing his paperwork. Arnold turned back to his friend and nodded in approval as his swallowed the pill: "You take care of yourself buddy. I probably should be heading back to my ACU and guard the perimeter until we get everything back in order."

Desjar blinked a few times to clear his eyes and then looked at him: "Yeah… I'm kind of surprised that they haven't called you by now."

A wave of dizziness made Desjar cradle his head with both hands and he did not see Arnold's smirk: "Well you know, I told them that them how important you were and such. They tried to object and keep me on patrol, but in the end they saw things my way. That and I accidentally broke my transmitter while carrying you here."

The other pilot turned an incredulous look on him and Arnold winked: "I kind of stepped on it… accidentally… and multiple times. But look on the bright side, you're ok and we're not under attack just yet."

**XXXXX**

"I will take care of the eastern side of the node while you take are of the west," said Ariel even as she plotted a course: "Try to reclaim any research or technologically advanced structure instead of destroying them. The amount of information gathered is not as accurate as actually capturing the facilities, but we may accidentally find a few interesting pieces of data."

Rhiza nodded back at Ariel: "Understood."

Both ACUs moved through the city with their accompanying armies, destroying or reclaiming one structure after the other. Meanwhile, the rest of their forces were establishing forward bases near the UEF front and the two factions were steadily escalating the conflict. Rhiza kept an eye on her tactical sensors, fully expecting a sneak attack at any moment.

A light assault bot suddenly exploded to her right and Rhiza spotted the Cybran wielding a rocket launcher not far away. Her ACU shot him before he could get behind cover, disintegrating the abomination in a fraction of a second. Her advanced sensors locked on another trio hidden not far away and she fired an overloaded shot, destroying the wall that they were using as cover and crushing them underneath. Rhiza plowed onward, killing everyone and tearing down any structure that stood in her path.

It was then that she felt it, the sense of absolute power that could only be achieved at the controls of an armored command unit. It felt strange to think that no matter one's skills, age, strength or influence, nothing could end a battle as decisively as an ACU. Even now, thousands of Cybrans were falling by her hands and there was absolutely nothing that they could do to stop her. Although she hated to admit it, there was a certain satisfaction to be had in taking such direct measures to end the Infinite War.

Another building stood before Rhiza and her sensors immediately identified that it did not have any technological value. She shot at it without hesitation, tearing a huge hole in its side and paused when the dust cleared. Rhiza deftly pressed a control with her thumb and zoomed in on the image, seeing the traces of a garden through the hole that she had just created.

The plants were unknown to her and looked like a collection of wild vines which had an occasional red flower blooming along its length. By zooming in closer, Rhiza could see that each flower had a different pattern of red that crisscrossed through its center with different shades. For a moment, Rhiza felt a pang of guild at destroying such a carefully tended garden and she was sure that the plants would wither at the mere contact of the planet's harsh atmosphere. To her surprise, however, they stood strong, apparently able to survive the planet's climate.

"What does it mean?" whispered Rhiza, the words escaping her without her even realizing it. Members of the Aeon Illuminate often had gardens and it was a mark of honor to nurture one up to the point where it was in perfect harmony with its environment. Even the most skilled botanists would be hard pressed to make anything grow on Minerva and for a moment, Rhiza considered changing her opinion about Cybrans. Could mere monsters and abominations do this?

A conduit in the building suddenly ruptured and burst into flames. The fire quickly spread and soon engulfed the entire garden. Rhiza stood frozen for a moment longer before shaking her head. No, those plants were most likely genetically engineered; an artificial creation and aberration much like the Cybrans were. Cleansing them was the right thing to do…

**XXXXX**

Marxon looked at the screen without blinking and analyzed all of the available information. The UEF and Aeon forces on Minerva were roughly on equal terms now with neither establishing a firm advantage. The UEF had been forced to fight on the defensive at first, but they were recovering from the Cybran ploy and were even now combining their resources to complete a Fatboy.

Under normal circumstances, the Aeon would have used the time to gain control of more mass point to fuel an unstoppable army, but again the Cybrans were interfering, destroying new expansions with air attacks or stealth tactical missile launchers. The Cybran base had yet to be found which implied that they were most likely overseeing the battle from a remote location. There was also no way to determine how many Cybran pilots were out there or when they would strike.

The Avatar-of-War brought a hand to his chin and gave it some further thought. Through the years, he had fought or overseen countless battles and each had a definite feel about it. This one had many layers of trickery, deceit and traps that encompassed everything and allowed the Cybrans multiple possibilities. The last time that Marxon had felt something akin to that had been Luthien several years ago. He remembered that battle as well as the last words that the Cybran had said: "When the battle is at a close, when Earth finally burns I'll be there… and I'll be waiting for you."

The Cybran that had spoken those words had been mortally injured and in all probabilities he should have died shortly after gating out. Yet at this moment, Marxon could almost feel the abomination's burning eyes gazing right through him from across the galaxy as they each oversaw their troops. Fair enough… Marxon would not shy away from another game of intrigue nor did he feel any fear at the prospect.

A few clicks on his controls switched the main screen to the galactic view and Marxon selected over thirty reserved commanders: "I want these commanders to gate deeply into UEF territory and establish a gate nexus. I also want them to send air raids across the planet and target every civilian settlement that they can find. The gate nexus will make it easier for our troops on Minerva to gate back and our attacks will occupy the UEF and prevent them from sending reinforcements."

More than one technician in the room gasped at the prospect of such a mass slaughter and the Avatar-of-War looked at each of them in order to force an acknowledgement out of them. It took a few moments before everyone returned to their stations and for the necessary orders to be issued. When all was ready, Marxon nodded: "Begin…"

**XXXXX**

Arnold sat into the cockpit of his ACU and carefully buckled himself in. He then took the war machine through its initialization sequence and was not surprised to find that Earthcom was trying to open a communication's link with him. The pilot ran a hand through his hair and muttered under his breath: "This is going to be an earful."

With that, Arnold opened the link and immediately saw Samantha glare at him: "It's about damned time. Why weren't you answering your transmitter? You've left your ACU alone for a good eight minutes now!"

"Sorry but my transmitter got damaged while taking Desjar to the infirmary," answered Arnold. He of course neglected to mention that it had been done on purpose and merely shrugged: "I had to make sure that he was well tended to before getting back in here. Anyway the perimeter is clear and there are no sign of Cybran or Aeon activity in the area."

For a moment, it looked as if Samantha would challenge Arnold's words, but she apparently thought better of it: "A Cybran sneak attack has created a quantum wake on Minerva and in your location. Add that one of the key prisoners is in a critical state and we are in a huge mess. We are sending a group of specialists to take a look at the Cybran. Secure the site at the following coordinates for a transport drop and escort them to the base as soon as possible. Another three commanders will gate in the area shortly."

Arnold felt his jaw drop and his temper flared immediately: "You're sending troops here while everyone left on Minerva are fighting for their lives? What the hell is this?"

"The prisoners at FortLytton are the top priority at the moment and the site must be defended," countered Samantha harshly. Multiple signals apparently caught her attention and she looked away from him for a moment to type on her console. She cut her explanation short and only looked at Arnold for a second: "You have your orders, Commander. Earthcom out."

Arnold cursed under his breath before throwing his arms up in disgust: "Great, just great!"

**XXXXX**

Desjar rinsed his mouth for the third time and finally began to feel like his old self again. He was still somewhat dizzy, but Arnold's medication was kicking in and he found that he could walk in a straight line. He looked at his reflection in the mirror for a moment and allowed himself to think back on what had just happened.

If the Cybran sneak attack had been launched a tenth of a second earlier then the portal would have overloaded while trying to materialize the ACU's core and he would be dead. That thought sent his mind straight back to Earth where Jessy and his baby girl were waiting for him and to all the implications that his death would have had. In his current state, Desjar could not face that possibility: "I have to find something to keep me busy."

Desjar went back to his room and his gaze settled on a data pad which displayed an image of his ACU. Looking at it now, he could see that the legs and lower torso had been crushed by the explosion, thoroughly destroying the ACU's motor functions and regeneration modules. FortLytton was not equipped to make extensive ACU repairs and even if it was then it would take weeks to get it operational again.

Desperate to keep his mind busy, the pilot left his room and started moving around the infirmary to see if he could make himself useful. His eyes were immediately drawn to another observation room with a large glass window where the three Cybran children were being examined by a doctor. Desjar made his way there, but the two armed guards that stood at the entrance stopped him: "Authorized personnel only."

Desjar suddenly realized that he was no longer in his pilot uniform and smiled shyly: "I'm Colonel Desjar; I was part of the team that brought those children in."

All that commotion brought the attention of the Doctor and the man made his way to the door: "You can let him through. Good evening Colonel and my apologies for not treating you myself earlier, but I had my orders. I'm doctor Slutcher. I trust that you are feeling better now?"

The pilot nodded and stepped into the room. The Cybran children barely looked at him for just a moment and then stood perfectly still, their faces locked in grim determination. The doctor took a pad from the nearby desk and looked at it once again before showing it to Desjar: "Their tests are all normal: pulse, blood pressure, reflexes, hearing and vision all meet the standard criteria. Aside from a small lack in vitamin C which is probably attributable to living on Minerva, they seem like perfectly normal – if silent – children. No cybernetic component has been integrated into their bodies yet either. I hope that you're not too disappointed. I heard that you were the one responsible for bringing them in after all."

That last statement caught the children's attention and Desjar did not miss the subtle look of hatred that they threw him. He felt guilty for a moment and he looked at the pad again. It was at that moment that something caught his attention: "Doctor, this is a paper pad?"

"Yes it is," confirmed the Doctor with a smile: "I never really liked using electronics and I enjoy having something real in the end instead of vanishing data. It might cost a bit more, but I think it's worth it."

The Doctor beamed proudly as Desjar looked repeatedly from the pad to him: "Where's your pen?"

The doctor patted his chest pocket but raised an eyebrow in confusion. It was at that time that the children sprung forward in unison while shouting a fierce battle cry. The doctor turned around just as one of the child tackled him. The force of the blow did not knock him to the ground, but it served as an opening for the youngest child as he jumped down and pierced his foot with the stolen pen. The doctor screamed as the child twisted the pen out and threw it in the air above him. 

Desjar watched in amazement as the eldest child caught the pen and charged him. The attack had been completed in less than three seconds and demonstrated a level of teamwork that no one would expect from children. Despite his surprise, Desjar was still an ACU pilot trained to react to almost any situation. He moved in the blink of an eye, shifting his foot in order to change his balance and catching the child's outstretched arm. He then pulled and twisted in the same motion, using the attacker's own momentum against him while moving in a circle. When the attack was over Desjar was behind the eldest child and had his arm pinned behind his back.

The scuffle finally caught the attention of the guards that were waiting outside and they charged in the room with their weapons in hand. One of them immediately noticed the child that Desjar was holding and struck with the butt of his weapon. The pilot reacted even faster, shifting his weight to force the child to duck which allowed him to evade the blow that would have struck him in the head. The guard looked at Desjar in confusion, but the pilot fixed him with an angry stare: "Just separate the other two!"

Both guards moved to the doctor who was still struggling with a child keeping him off balanced while the youngest one bit his ankle. The eldest in Desjar's grasp tried to shake himself free, but Desjar strengthened his hold: "It's over, let go of the pen."

The eldest growled in denial and Desjar gave a sharp tug on his arm which made him cry in pain: "You have a lot of guts, but fighting now will only get you and your friends injured. Save your strength and chose your battles wisely."

Several seconds passed before the eldest child finally stopped struggling and let go of the bloody pen. Desjar immediately kicked it out of the room and looked behind him. The two guards were holding the other children while doctor Slutcher was busy leaning against his desk. The man looked in shock as his bleeding foot and then back at the children: "Those little freaks!"

"Consider it a good lesson doctor," said Desjar while shaking his head: "No pens, needles, forks, steel wires or anything that could be used as a weapon."

Desjar twisted around so that the children all stood while facing each other: "Now are you guys going to calm down or do we go for another round?"

The other two children ceased their struggle and Desjar allowed a few more seconds to pass before letting go of the one that he was holding. He then pointed at the Doctor: "Get him out of here so that he can be treated and lock the door when you leave. I'll look over them until you get back."

The guards hesitated, but then realized that Desjar was a superior officer and they nodded. They let go of their respective child and moved to help the cursing doctor out of the room. Desjar spoke loudly as they made their way out of the examination room: "Also have something brought from the cafeteria… and I hope that I don't have to specify that it should be something without utensils, like sandwiches."

The guards grimaced, but nodded again and locked the door behind them. Desjar watched as the children assembled together again and saw the subtly exchanged hand signs and meaningful looks. He spoke before they could come up with another plan: "Remember to choose your battles wisely. I went easy on you the first time, but I won't be so kind if you attack again."

The three of them exchanged looks for a few seconds before the eldest finally shook his head. They all walked slowly to the other end of the room and sat in the corner. The children then gazed at Desjar with hateful eyes and none of them spoke a single word. The ACU pilot sighed audibly and shook his head: "I'm the one that suggested that you should be transported along with the other prisoners, but if it's any consolation then you should know that it was to save you from the incoming Aeon assault."

They did not move or show any gratitude. Desjar supposed that he would not have been very grateful either had the situation been reversed. This lasted for several minutes before the door was unlocked and a guard stepped in with a plate of sandwiches. Desjar took it, set it on the table and then stepped out of the room.

**XXXXX**

Information flashed on Redfog's screen like lightening, tracking the movements of every unit in radar range. He would intervene whenever UEF or Aeon forces tried to extend their base, sending Gemini fighters to shoot down air transports, bombers to destroy land units without air cover or loyalists accompanied by deceivers when there was a sufficient anti-air presence in the area. If all else failed, he or one of the other two Assumpta assassins would lead the assault, destroying everything in the area with their microwave lasers.

Together, they destroyed units by the hundreds, but no matter how successful they were, their efforts only prolonged the inevitable. Each enemy base was well entrenched and would require considerable firepower to bring down. Redfog could send all of his forces against either faction and score a crippling blow, but that would mean allowing the other one to expand and thrive. The result would most likely be that one faction would be defeated, but instead of facing a pair of distracted opponents he would be left with a strong one dedicated to kill him.

Oddly enough, the situation reminded him of the predicament that they faced on a galactic scale. Fortunately, there were other possibilities to win this battle and Redfog transmitted hails on an emergency channel. Dostya's face appeared quickly and she was apparently surprised that he would contact her: "Redfog?"

"I need your assistance," said Redfog simply.

Dostya's eyes widened in shock since the assassin had never asked anyone for help before. She quickly typed something on her console and looked at her display screen: "Almost all of the nearby nodes have been evacuated and the ones that are not will be cleared in the next few minutes. Once that's done, you can direct all of your forces against a single target and weaken them enough for the other faction to finish it off. I suggest striking the Aeons since the UEF will quickly leave once they realize…"

"No!" spouted Redfog, the word almost a growl. His eyes burned brightly when he spoke again: "No more running and no more plotting. It's time for all the nodes to gather as one and take matters into their own hands."

For a moment, Dostya thought that the assassin was making a jest, but she quickly realized that he was not: "You are asking for the impossible. They are not ready to work together… and especially not to follow you!"

Anyone else that knew of Redfog's reputation would have probably never dared to say such a thing to him, but Dostya had come to understand that the leader of the Assumpta Node valued direct honesty over politeness. He looked at her straight in the eyes even as he kept controlling his units: "They will never be ready, Dostya; that's the problem! Nevertheless they must band together and fight if they want to survive this war."

Something exploded near Redfog's ACU, but the assassin remained impassive. He pressed a few buttons on his console and initiated a video upload towards Dostya: "If you need something to convince them then show them this."

Dostya did not even need to look at the video feed to know what it was: the Sunam Node was burning.

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 7 **

**Conflict of interest **

They are Cybrans…

That notion twirled over and over in Desjar's head as he looked at the children through the window. He saw the eldest motion for the others to stay down while he made his way towards the platter of sandwiches. The child checked the platter carefully as if searching for some kind of trap before bringing it to the others. Even then, they did not dig in immediately, but instead opened every sandwich and searched them, sniffing the processed meat and looking at them doubtfully. When they found nothing wrong, the eldest took a single bite and the other two looked at him and waited expectantly.

Several minutes passed before the eldest nodded as if indicating that he did not feel anything wrong and they all dug in, eating their fill. They did not finish the plate, however, eating only a few sandwiches and then stashing the rest as if they meant for it to last for several days.

The youngest suddenly looked down and it seemed for a moment that the reality of the situation had finally caught up to him and that he would cry. The other two noticed this and acted immediately, the eldest moving between the youngest and Desjar to block the view while the other whispered something in the youngest child's ear.

For a moment, Desjar's eyes crossed those of the eldest and he finally understood what he saw: determination, anger, stubbornness and a thirst for freedom. He had seen similar gazes in the occasional taunts from Cybran pilots in the past few years. Up until now, he had believed what he had been told; that the Cybran's aggressiveness was the result of a virus that had corrupted their AI and that Brackman was the one pulling the strings and feeding the war. Those children had no implants, however, and were just as determined.

The ACU pilot finally recognized that the Cybrans were the product of their environments. They were children born of war; taught to stick together, to hide and to survive in the harshest of settings with the ever present threat of the Aeon Illuminate or the UEF always around the corner. They would never give in and the harder the situation would become then the closer they would stick together.

Desjar's thoughts were interrupted when a group of people suddenly appeared around the corner and stormed through the corridor. It was not the first time that Desjar saw a black ops team and back in his days at the academy, they had all heard rumors about them. Some stories were about people and even ACU pilots having strange 'accidents' if they crossed their path too often. Of course none of those had accounted for the guy, clearly a civilian by the looks of him, that they were half leading, half carrying along.

A frown appeared on Desjar's face when they were out of range and he shook his head slightly: "And how did he end up in the middle of this?"

**XXXXX**

They all saw it, the images of the Cybran node burning to the ground. Dostya looked at her side screen and could almost feel the wave of anger that coursed through each pilot that she was connected to. She gave them all a few seconds to digest the information before speaking: "The battle still rages on. If we join it now then we can…"

"Assist Redfog for free while he extracts favors from everyone else?" interrupted one of the Cybran pilots in contempt.

Dostya recognized the speaker from the Yamagata Node and it was the same one which had picked a fight with Valerie in the earlier brawl. The man crossed his arms and frowned darkly: "The information has already leaked out that Delphi of the Sunam Node has purchased his services. We know that he fights on her behalf and that Assumpta services – especially Redfog's - do not come cheaply. I grieve for the loss of our brothers and sisters, but I do not see the purpose of risking life and limbs to benefit those jackals!"

For a moment, Dostya considered protesting, but the damage was already done. Even now, many were nodding their heads in agreement while others shouted their outrage at helping a node that many considered selfish in their dealings. She lowered her head a moment, but then took a deep breath and steeled her nerves: "Then I'll go alone."

The Yamagata pilot leaned forward in his seat as he spoke: "You don't owe him anything, Dostya. His reckless behavior and inhuman tactics have killed friends and foes alike, including Cybran pilots."

The Cybran was most likely going to mention Mather, but Dostya's glare stopped him before he could say another word. She looked at each of them in turn straight in the eyes before speaking again: "I don't fight for Redfog, for the Assumpta Node or even for the Sunam Node… I fight for all Cybrans regardless of whom they are or where they come from. And what will you fight for? Honor… vengeance… freedom?"

Her gaze was uncompromising and more than one pilot looked away from her. She allowed a few more seconds to pass before closing the channel. She then plotted a course towards the gate nexus that would allow her to reach the battle.

**XXXXX**

Bagby ran through the corridors of the Red Skull gate nexus and swallowed a few sobriety pills. He usually tried to avoid taking those since they wasted all the precious booze that he had taken and would force him to pee like a huge lactating cow in a few minutes. He suddenly wondered how cows could have possibly survived all that time on Earth with such crappy natural camouflage and accidentally slammed into a technician that was carrying some spare parts. The smaller Cybran fell on his back while cursing and the parts flew all around the launch bay. Bagby quickly managed to recover his balance: "Oh, sorry about that, but you should really watch where I'm going and…"

The SCU pilot slammed into someone else again, but this time the impact stopped him dead in his tracks. He looked up at the technician's buddy, a worker who was a good three heads higher than Bagby and arms that belonged on an UEF ACU: "Sorry but I can't let you board your SCU when you're in that condition."

Bagby straightened immediately, fixing the ogre of a Cybran with a glare: "Are you saying that I'm too old to pilot my own damned machine?"

"No, I'm saying that you're too drunk to do it," clarified the giant sternly: "How many drinks did you take before rushing in the hangar anyway? Seven or eight? You can't seriously hope to pilot effectively like that."

The technician spoke in a gentle voice in an attempt to calm Bagby, but the pilot only grew more agitated: "It's actually more fun that way. You can also try it with someone on your lap and that has to be one of the most exciting experiences if you don't hit any huge bumps while it's happening. If you do then it gets messy and all…"

Bagby tried to discretely move past the technician while telling the story, but the other Cybran recognized the ruse for what it was and blocked his path again. The SCU pilot threw his arms up in defeat and sighed audibly: "Fine, fine, you win. I guess this is one of life's harsh lessons for an old guy like me."

"Don't worry Bagby; I'm sure that there are one or two more battles left in you," said the technician placing one of his huge hands on Bagby's shoulder as if to comfort. The pilot merely shrugged: "That's not exactly what I meant…"

Bagby moved swiftly, biting the technician's hand while simultaneously kicking with his leg. The blow caught the technician straight in the groin and he threw a second kick when the first one was not enough to send the Cybran to the ground. The giant finally collapsed and the SCU pilot shook his head slightly: "I just meant that I have to admit that I'm getting old and that I can't do things like I used to. Thirty years ago, I would have slugged you in the face for blocking me, but now I actually have to fight dirty all the time… which I can live with by the way."

The pilot jumped over the groaning technician and then climbed inside the cockpit of his SCU. He chuckled as he brought the war machine online and queued himself in order to be summoned by Dostya: "One of the perks of being old bastard, however, is that I can get away with it!"

**XXXXX**

The Galactic Colossus moved forward with an escort of Harbingers to cover it, stomping through the wave of Titans and crushing them with ease. The return fire seemed almost inconsequential to the behemoth as it plowed forward and its power was akin to a force of nature. Even a Galactic Colossus had its limits, however, and this was emphasized when the supporting Fatboy opened fire with all cannons, showering the area with unending waves of ballistic projectiles. The explosions tore through the ranks of harbingers and slammed the giant relentlessly, peeling away a layer of armor after the other.

Rhiza watched the display with contempt and allowed it to continue for a moment before recalling the giant to her base. Even then, the UEF weapon platform followed in the hope of finishing off its wounded prey, but the UEF pilot had apparently forgotten to take the distance into account. The UEF experimental weapon moved in range of the Aeon's artillery batteries and they immediately opened fire. Miasma shells connected with the Fatboys shields, causing them to flicker dangerously. The experimental weapon quickly stopped and fell back, but even then the next wave was enough to collapse its shields and take out one of its hell fury riot guns.

The Galactic Colossus stopped at a safe distance from Rhiza's position and she looked at it with concern. Most of its chest plates had been peeled off, an arm had difficulty twisting in its socket and electric fires licked its shoulders mercilessly. She felt a pang of regret as she entered the self-destruct code for the experimental, but quickly reminded herself that it was but a machine. The giant's energy core went critical as soon as the code was transmitted and it toppled to the ground, its servo motors emitting a shriek like a dying beast.

Rhiza delicately touched her controls, sending engineers to reclaim the husks while others started building a new galactic colossus. The wreckage of the old one had nearly ninety percent of the original mass and would fuel the next generation in but a few minutes without having any noticeable impact on her economy. Even then, she still marveled at the sight of one weapon melting while the other was being assembled and for a moment, she thought that it was not unlike the cycle of life.

A light indicated that she was being hailed and Ariel's face appeared on her monitor: "Strategic missile defenses are in place and we are steadily adding mass fabricators and power generators as per the Avatar's orders. We have not located the Cybran base yet, but an analysis of their attack suggests that they have no more than three or four pilots out there. Our economic infrastructure will soon be strong enough to ignore their attacks and strike at the UEF with all our might."

Rhiza nodded in agreement and made her own report: "UEF forces have apparently mimicked our tactics and have kept pace with us so far. Their experimental weapon platform is making it hard to wage a successful attack, but our defensive line has kept it and its accompanying forces at bay. I fear that this battle could easily last several more hours if not days at this current rate."

Both pilots nodded in agreement and neither of them appeared upset or even flustered at the possibility. They knew that the Avatar was watching over them while keeping UEF forces busy elsewhere. They would either win the battle here or become one with The Way. It was as simple as that.

**XXXXX**

"What the hell?" whispered DV as he stepped into the room: "This is just freaky…"

The hacker stood subjugated as technicians, doctors and black ops personnel moved around the prisoner. She was shackled to the table with multiple tubes piercing her body while sensors strapped to her flesh monitored her life signs. The sight seemed so unreal that the hacker's first thought was that he had entered some kind of movie. He was still in the process of deciding whether it was a suspense or a horror movie when one of the black ops members stepped in front of him: "The prisoner has been stabilized and she's as ready as she'll ever be. Get to work."

The man shoved a portable computer in DV's chest, obviously angered at assisting the hacker instead of leading the operation. DV tried to ignore the many glances that were thrown his way and looked at the laptop. It was top of the line, a machine that was not even on the open market yet. He opened it and found the gloves and the multipurpose headset neatly folded inside.

DV quickly donned the gloves and then put on the headset, making sure that everything was operational before turning the system on. The computer hummed to life and the headset started moving, deploying small video pods in front of his face which scanned his eyes. The system analyzed the exact form of his eyes before projecting an image straight into them, reproducing a visual layout over what he was currently seeing. A flick of his fingers was all that DV needed to do in order to make virtual computer screens appear in front of him.

The system would then monitor his head movements, allowing him to glance around his virtual space as if he was in a high tech center instead of in the middle of an operation room. Of course DV was the only one who could see the different screens since the image was projected into his eyes, but he considered it a bonus. The only reason that the system had not been deployed in military units such as ACUs was that it was too sensitive and single malfunction could shut down the entire interface.

It was not the first time that DV had ever tried such a system, but those that were on the market were slow in comparison to this one. He took the next few minutes to configure his environment, adding over two dozen screens around him and resetting the controls to his preference. He dimly heard someone tapping his foot impatiently near him: "This is taking too long, begin slicing through her now."

Up until now, DV had been forced to bow his head and nod, but he was in his environment now and he found some new determination from that: "If you want to try slicing into her and keep up with her AI then be my guest, hotshot. If you want to do something useful then you could actually open the ports to the quantum network so that I can access it from here."

"That is a security risk that we cannot afford at this time," the black ops member said stubbornly.

DV rolled his eyes in annoyance and was momentarily blinded as the headset's cameras failed to keep up with the movement. This resulted in an instant headache and he swore loudly, annoyed that they could not make a bug free operating system even after centuries of development: "Which part did you think that the Cybrans could have missed: the quantum gate explosion a few minutes ago or the appearance of several ACUs in the area? How stupid do you think Cybrans really are? Also while you're at it, you might consider the fact that I would really like to download the tools that took months to develop which are safely stored in a backup database. I really don't feel like developing them again right now."

For a moment, DV could clearly picture a hand grasping him by the hair and slamming his face in the table. Fortunately for him, the speaker grumbled something under his breath before ordering the ports to be opened. The hacker sighed in relief, but tensed again when a hand grasped his shoulder and squeezed: "Don't push your luck."

The words were barely above a whisper, but DV found himself nodding and he went back to work immediately. He started downloading all the programs that he had written in the past several years and tried to remain as calm as possible. It was not easy with everyone looking at him and with the very real threat of a Cybran counter attack on the horizon.

**XXXXX**

"Guess you must feel pretty dumb now huh?" said Gauge in contempt. The giant crossed his arms as he added: "If we'd build a base and struck a bit earlier while the UEF had its pants down as I suggested then we could have overwhelmed it and rescued the prisoners. The Sunam node would have owed you guys a life debt for pulling it off, but now that UEF reinforcements are here, there's no way in hell to pull it off. Guess it's going to suck to be you when you go back home, huh?"

Valerie did not say a word, refusing to even acknowledge Gauge's bait. The giant snorted in annoyance: "Maybe you'll get lucky and Redfog's stubbornness will get him killed. Maybe you won't roast in hell if he gets there first."

This time, the assassin did turn to look at Gauge on her monitor, but only shrugged: "If hell exists then the demons that inhabit it already tried to claim him. In the end, however, they figured that it was safer to let go before it was too late."

Gauge sneered, unsure of what annoyed him the most: the fact that Valerie was not taking the bait or that she firmly believed everything that she was saying about her leader. Kazuo jumped into the conversation before thing could deteriorate any further: "This is not helping us or them! We should be trying to save our brothers and sisters instead of fighting each other."

Gauge looked at the pilot from the Jade Node and dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand: "Too late, squirt. If we attack now then the UEF will just gather all those prisoners and gate them out before we even breach the first line of defense. If I had a pack of pilots from the Scorched Earth Node then I could probably do it, but it would be impossible with just the two of you. Don't take it personally, but compared to us, you're still little more than a jade paper weight and I'd rather trust a rabid dog over her to cover my back."

Kazuo looked from Gauge to Valerie, but if the assassin disagreed then she did not give any indication of it. Kazuo slumped in his seat and sighed: "This is hopeless."

**XXXXX**

"I have never seen or heard of a Cybran that was configured like that," whispered DV as the data was projected into his eyes: "The implants at the back of her neck are far more advanced than what I have ever seen. It appears that they can transfer an amount of data that would be about fifty times bigger than what would be required for… well just about anything."

Dozens of screens were projected straight into DV's eyes and he rubbed a gloved finger along his upper lip to think. He dimly heard someone around him mention that it was probably a way for the Cybran to hack systems at incredible speeds, but he did not give that theory any further thought.

The more DV thought about it, the less it made sense. He knew that the human brain had an incredible processing power, but it was also unreliable over a long period of time. Also, if all they needed was the brain then why had the Cybrans bothered to maintain the rest of the body? Unless…

"Full sensory conversion," whispered DV in sudden realization. The hacker smiled when he finally understood and started to reconfigure his environments, speaking his thoughts loudly as if he was commenting on a replay: "Shift one sense at a time from the body to the implants. Sight and hearing can be done easily, but it leaves you the benefit of using the other senses to interpret other forms of data. One could convert a friendly ping into a soft touch or a hacking attempt in a cramp. It would be a way to surf the quantum network on a whole new and instinctive level. It also implies that two way communications is possible. If I try to interface on an audio and video level then I might actually be able to talk to her."

"We need you to slice through her; not open up a chat session," observed one of the black ops member in irritation.

DV remembered not to roll his eyes this time and merely grimaced: "First rule of hacking is to try the polite approach first. Why go through the trouble of tearing down a steel door when knocking could actually work. Now let's see if this can connect…"

The hacker used a variation of the programs that he downloaded to initiate a full immersion environment. The headset's camera threw a green background picture into his eyes which blocked out everything else in the room. He then increased the volume of his earphones and made sure that his microphone was active with a close range filter before finally initiating the connection. He waited anxiously for several seconds before a beep confirmed that the connection had been established.

"Hello?" said DV. The hacker's voice echoed weirdly through the virtual world and for a moment, he thought that he had somehow messed it up and caused a feedback loop. He was about to initiate a diagnostic when a shy, child-like voice hailed him: "Is the fighting over?"

DV was momentarily taken aback by the innocent voice, but quickly reminded himself that it could simply be a trick to put him off his guard. He decided to adopt a straightforward approach, speaking normally instead of patronizing the Cybran: "Yes, it's over. We had a few close calls, but we're all safe now."

A flash of light forced DV to close his eyes and he grimaced in pain. The child giggled in amusement and the sound had suddenly increased in quality and proximity: "Sorry about that, but it can happen sometimes. You can open your eyes now!"

The hacker waited a moment before opening his eyes and gasped at what he saw. The green background had been replaced with a scene of a small house in a prairie. A four feet tall child in a purple dress stood in front of him with a smile on her face: "I'm Amber, who are you?"

**XXXXX**

"Yathavol inetsuie," came the sudden order. The Assumpta pilot heard Redfog's command and immediately disengaged. The words were context sensitive; a battle language known only by Assumpta assassins and no written form of it existed anywhere. The possibility of anyone hacking their communication signals was insignificant at best, but taking chances was not part of their mindset.

Redfog watched as a group of UEF spy planes flew over the spot where the other pilot had been. Under normal circumstances, he would have felt a small amount of pleasure from accurately predicting his opponent's movements, but such a small victory felt hollow at the moment. The battle was slowly escalating out of control and the three Cybran pilots could not keep up with it indefinitely.

A message appeared on Redfog's screen, indicating that another pilot was trying to join their group and he accepted the request immediately: "How many?"

Dostya was not flustered by the lack of a proper greeting and responded on the same tone: "Only me. I'm establishing my base now…"

Redfog paused for just a split second, but then laid out a course towards a pack of Harbingers that were escorting engineers towards a mass point: "Then there's no other choice but to keep fighting."

Dostya queued the construction of several structures, but raised an eyebrow. She would never claim to understand the leader of the Assumpta Node, but she had fought alongside him in the past and she could feel the anger behind his words even now: "What are you waiting for?"

The leader of the Assumpta Node only growled as he jumped in the middle of the Aeon formation and let his heavy microwave laser slice through everything that stood in his way.

**XXXXX**

Marxon raised an eyebrow as he looked at the tactical screen and felt something that he had not expected in this battle: disappointment. The war still raged, but with each moment that passed, the Cybrans options were growing fewer and fewer. Originally, they could have struck at either Aeon or UEF forces directly, tipping the scale and causing irreparable damage to one faction or the other. Instead, they had squandered that opportunity by keeping both factions in check. This had forced both warring factions to build shielded mass fabricator farms instead and while the process was slow, it still allowed an economy to grow. Soon the fight would spill out and the Cybrans would become inconsequential once again.

Originally, he had thought that his opponent had been a strong Cybran commander like the one that he had faced years ago, but he now realized that he was only facing some kind of optimistic fool. In the end, it would not matter: the Aeon Illuminate could not be stopped.

**XXXXX**

"This is insanity, what do they hope to accomplish?" said the pilot of the Yamagata Node: "They can't mount a successful offensive against both the UEF and the Aeon with just four ACUs! Let them pick a side and end it!"

The pilot of the Yamagata node looked at everyone in the open channel and saw doubts in all of their faces. He shook his head fiercely: "It's all because of Redfog's greed. He wants to honor his contract and use us to do the dirty work."

"Is that what helping another Cybran is called these days? Dirty work?" came the sudden interruption. Everyone gasped as Doctor Brackman's face appeared on the channel and more than one of them bowed their heads in shame. The Yamagata pilot hesitated a moment before straightening his shoulders: "Every Cybran in that area is dead, Doctor. There is nothing left to fight for except an assassin's pride."

Delphi suddenly appeared in the channel and it was fully apparent from her teary face that the loss of her node weighted heavily upon her: "That account has already been settled."

Everyone looked around in confusion even as the cybernetic expert explained: "The exact nature of my dealing with Redfog was for him to save my sister if he could and end the battle if he could not. My sister… is gone. If he had chosen to tip the scale in either direction then his obligations to me would have come to an end."

Everyone stood silent as Delphi looked at them: "I do not know why Redfog keeps fighting… but I do know that it's not for me."

Doctor Brackman waited patiently without saying a single word. He desperately wanted his children to assist Dostya, but they needed to come to such a decision themselves. They would not win the Infinite War if their hearts were not in it.

"I guess... that freedom is not something that will come without sacrifice," said the Yamagata pilot. Doctor Brackman watched as one pilot after the other raised their heads and spoke in turn:

"It's the right thing to do…"

"No more hiding!"

"My reply will come from the mouth of my cannons!"

"Libertà!"

"For honor!"

"For the fallen!"

Doctor Brackman watched as the boards lit up as more and more pilots queued themselves in their local gate nexus for an immediate transport. His entire board quickly shifted from red to green and he smiled warmly: "Tip of the Spear."

**XXXXX**

"Oh god that feels good!" said Bagby in relief. The old pilot closed the tube and zipped his pants back on. Hopefully now that the sobriety pills had done their work then he could fight without asking for a break in the middle of the battle. He rubbed his hands on his pants to clean them a bit and then reactivated his communications system: "Let's see if I missed any…. whoa!"

The screen lit up and he immediately saw that he was surrounded by three Cybran SCUs which were looking at him expectantly. Bagby passed a hand through his hair and gulped in apprehension. Maybe he had finally overdone it by crushing the tech's balls like that. He opened a channel and threw in his most charming smile: "Err listen guys… if you're here about that tech then you should know that my foot slipped and um…"

The confused face of an SCU pilot appeared on his screen: "I have no idea what you're talking about, but I think you'll need this."

The SCU moved forward and handed him a magnetic flag pole. Bagby looked down at it, scratched his head and then finally realized that the tactical board showed a massive Cybran launch. He took the flag with a smile that reached from ear to ear: "The galaxy only makes sense after I go to the bathroom... well, that works for me!"

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 8 **

**Fighting as one **

"What is this place?" asked DV in amazement. The hacker looked around him, watching the flawless reproduction of trees, flower and grass. Each plant moved as if pushed by a gentle gust of wind and the whole scenery was breathtaking. The image of the little girl in front of him smiled knowingly: "Those are called trees… but I guess that you would know that since you most likely had the chance to see them in the real world."

The hacker suddenly remembered what he was supposed to do and smiled apologetically: "Oh sorry my name is DV. I was… surprised with all of this."

Amber moved to a chair that was suspended from a nearby oak tree and hopped on it. Her small feet did not even touch the ground and she threw them back and forth a few times in order to swing: "Funny, if I was part of the UEF then I would try to go to Earth as often as I could. I would run in the forests, jump in streams of water and maybe even play fetch with a dog."

"I'm not..." started to object DV.

"I can feel the others poking at my AI even now as they try to extract some useful data," cut in the child quickly. Her eyes grew sad as she added: "They'll be so disappointed when they realize what it is that they are downloading."

Amber looked at DV and tilted her head to the side: "You won't find what you're looking for in here, but if it's all the same to you… would you stay with me?"

DV was at a loss of words and the simulation was so convincing that he was surprised when he felt someone peel back his earphone for a moment in the real world to whisper in his ear: "I don't know what you're doing, but keep it up. Her ports are open and there's a ton of information in there that we can access."

The earphone was put back into place and DV shook his head slightly while trying to make sense out of all of it. Why would a Cybran actually want to be hacked like that? Surely they must have some means of defense or encryption? Somehow the hacker's confusion must have been obvious for the girl bowed her head and offered an explanation: "I'm fading… and I don't want to be left alone right now. Will you please stay with me?"

DV nodded.

**XXXXX**

Marxon stood tall with his hands in front of him as he watched the display screen. He was monitoring two worlds at the moment: the battle on Minerva as well as the sizable strike force that had launched an attack deep within UEF territory. So far, everything was going according to his will, but he wanted everyone else in the room to realize it as well: "Status."

The lead analyst in charge of monitoring the situation in UEF territory raised her head: "Our strike force has established a gate nexus and the surrounding attacks are keeping the UEF occupied. Enemy casualties are estimated at over one hundred thousand in the past two hours with ninety percent of those estimated to be civilians. No casualties on our side so far."

Marxon nodded and turned towards the lead analyst in charge of monitoring Minerva. The man cleared his throat before speaking: "The position of our base on Minerva is stable and UEF forces have been kept at bay for now. Recent patrols have cleared out the remaining Cybran strike teams in the area. The whereabouts of the Cybran commanders is still unknown, but we have calculated a seventy percent drop in their attack efficiency due to our perfected defenses and they are no longer a sizable threat. Considering the presence of UEF experimental weapon platform in the area, I would suggest a sea attack instead of tackling their front lines."

Normally Marxon did not appreciate it when his subordinates tried to second guess his next order, but this time he nodded in approval. The logic was sound and he wanted to encourage those around him to follow his path instead of simply dragging them along: "Have commander Rhiza lead the sea attack while our other commanders prepare to lead our ground forces. I want the UEF to be dealt with swiftly and decisively."

**XXXXX**

A string of Russian curses escaped Dostya when the Fatboy's constant fire collapsed the nearby shield generators and destroyed the defensive line. She was forced to abandon the newly built firebase and flee before it was overrun. The base was quickly destroyed, but the experimental weapon kept showering the area with ballistic projectiles in the hopes of actually catching the cloaked Cybran ACU. A lucky shot connected with the Cybran's left arm and disabled its molecular ripper cannon, but Dostya still managed to escape: "Damage assessment: moderate. I'm moving back to my main base now."

Dostya looked hopelessly at her tactical screen, but it was apparent by now that they could no longer contain either UEF or Aeon forces. The UEF was making troop drops across the map to claim additional mass points and the Aeon were amassing a sizable sea fleet which would no doubt be used shortly to either get rid of the Cybran bases in the area or lead the attack against the UEF. Dostya looked in desperation to her summoning queue, hoping that getting a pilot like Bagby on the field could somehow even the odds, but to her surprise, there was not a single pilot available for her to summon. She flicked a switch on her board: "Bagby?"

The aged pilot's face appeared immediately on her screen with a wide grin: "Heya D! Sorry to have kept you waiting, but we're almost there!"

She blinked once as she tried to digest the information: "We?"

Redfog's face appeared on her monitor before Bagby could answer: "How many?"

Bagby forwarded some battle data to the two of them and their tactical map was automatically expanded, displaying the sea of red units that was surrounding the entire region: "There you go Reddog. Oh and here's some friendly advice: the next time that you throw a party you should try something catchier than theatrics to bring in more people. Free beer usually works quite well…"

The assassin snorted in derision and closed the channel, much to Bagby's delight. Dostya smiled warmly and raised an eyebrow: "I take it that a flashy entrance is in order?"

The old Cybran pilot spat in the corner of his cockpit before smiling wickedly: "If there's any other type of entrance then I don't know what it is and I'm too old to learn it!"

**XXXXX**

Rhiza selected all of her sea units and assembled them in the same area. Satisfied that she had a well-balanced fleet, she opened a channel towards the UEF forces and spoke in a calm and deadly voice: "Follow the Way… or be cleansed."

She had been taught that the UEF usually responded with crude threats or bold proclamations. A few sometimes saw the light and surrendered, but it was obvious by now that they would not do so. She had expected all of that, but somehow her training did not prepare her for the reply that was thrown her way: "Whoa, I'll take that offer because I'm feeling dirty!"

The face of an old Cybran with a crooked smile appeared on her screen and winked at her with malicious intent: "You know, at my age a good sponge bath is just what the doctor ordered and I can't think of a cuter nurse than you at the moment."

"How dare you speak to a Knight this way?" objected Rhiza despite herself. She knew that she should not let herself taunted in such a manner, but the way that the Cybran was leering at her was so… degrading. The old man apparently noticed this and licked his lips in anticipation: "Telling me not to do it is like telling a kid not to play with a plasma rifle: you just know he'll do it and burn the cat anyway. But if you're more in a brawling mood then how about coming over here to spank me yourself? Come on… you know you want to and I'll even be nice enough to show you where I am!"

The edge of Rhiza's sensors suddenly picked up a small Cybran fleet and a video uplink beeped on her screen. She hesitated a moment before pressing the button and the image of a Cybran SCU appeared on her screen. It stood proudly on top of an aircraft carrier while waving a black flag with a red skull drawn on it. Rhiza frowned and altered her fleet's course: "If it is a fight that you want then I will happily oblige."

She did not know what the Cybrans were up to, but her sensors clearly showed that their fleet was four times smaller than her own. Even then, she had to wonder if they were really that desperate. The sight of the Cybran SCU turning his back to her and waving its posterior around was the final straw and she went ahead with her earlier impulse by sending her fleet forward. Rhiza shut down the Cybran video feed and spoke loudly so that the other Aeon commanders could hear her: "Cybran fleet detected on a trajectory that could potentially cut off our naval reinforcement lines. I'm plotting an intercept course in order to destroy it prior to resuming my objectives. Delay to attack estimated at two minutes."

Rhiza watched as her armada of three battleships, seven cruisers, five destroyers and twelve submarines moved towards the Cybran fleet which only had a total of four sea units. She sent a spy plane to circle around just in case, but it did not detect any other threat in the area. Her gaze remained locked on her tactical display as the circles which delimited the range of her battleships crept forward: "You wanted my attention… and now you have it."

The Omen class battleships opened fire as soon as they got in range and Rhiza watched as two blips disappeared from her radar. The SCU pilot, however, was still alive and shouting with glee: "Whoa baby, you play rough! I thought you would treat me to a dinner and a movie first."

The Aeon fleet was still closing in and Rhiza shook her head in disbelief. It almost looked as if the Cybran was having… fun? She got her answers a second later as other signals appeared on her radar in the middle of what was left of the Cybran fleet. The Aeon battleships as well as the destroyers that were just now entering the proper range fired on those immediately, but the result puzzled Rhiza: "How is this possible?"

"Hey doll face, still trying to wrap your brain around it?" asked the old Cybran tauntingly: "I'll leave you one guess because you won't have time for another."

Rhiza ignored the Cybran, but tried to process the information as quickly as she could. There were no other fleets and the signals represented surface units or structures. The fact that she could see them on her radar clearly demonstrated that there were no stealth generators involved which therefore meant that there were no surface engineers. That left only…

A gasp escaped her and she tried to stop her fleet, but it was already too late. The ships at the front of her fleet revealed the destroyed Cybran fleet which included the sinking aircraft carrier but there were no traces of the SCU pilot anywhere. Two dozen torpedoes slammed into the Aeon destroyers a heartbeat later and the second wave had almost triple that number. Rhiza's submarines barely managed to reveal a small part of the Cybran's army and she spotted what looked like fifty submarines and double that amount of Wagners that were making their way along the sea floor. From what Rhiza could see, it did not even represent the full extent of the army.

"Got to love Cybran sonar stealth technology, right doll face?" asked the Cybran with a grin: "Those small platforms might sink with some bad weather, but if you build them quickly enough then you can maintain the illusion even if you're under fire. But I guess you can see that by now, huh?"

Rhiza watched in horror as her fleet was taken apart by an overwhelming amount of underwater units. She briefly considered sending torpedo bombers to even the odds, but she could see that the surface signals that had appeared on her radar were actually anti-air turrets. She felt humiliated at the setback, but had the presence of mind to send a warning: "This is Rhiza to all Aeon commanders. I have spotted a massive Cybran underwater fleet heading straight for our shores. Units include a vast numbers of submarines, amphibious tanks and one or possibly several SCUs. Prepare our shore defenses immediately!"

**XXXXX**

They simply sat together without speaking a word for what felt like an eternity; two perfect strangers from different worlds that shared a moment. DV had never been one to remain inactive for more than a few minutes and this was the longest time that he had ever spent without doing anything except appreciate the scenery. Looking at it made him realize how beautiful the world was and what he had missed while remaining secluded in his apartment. Looking at the little girl, he thought that they were an odd pair; a human that had spent his entire life immersing himself in virtual reality and a Cybran apparently trying to recreate the real thing.

DV's awareness of the virtual environment grew to such extent that he immediately noticed it when the size of the virtual world suddenly shrunk by half. He turned towards Amber who was slumped in her suspended chair with her eyes half closed. He reached out for her and the child opened her eyes again and smiled sadly. It was at that precise moment that the truth of her earlier words finally registered: she was dying.

The realization hit DV like a ton of brick and he spoke loudly enough for everyone in the real world to hear him: "No, no, no, no! Dang it, everyone in listen to me, she's fading! Treat her, cure her, do something!"

Amber brought a finger in front of her lips and shushed softly. The hacker sank back into his seat and tried to reach forward. He knew that there was nothing in front of him in the real world, but Amber must have somehow been able to detect the movement. She reached out and he felt the force feedback mechanism of his right glove activate; the closest thing that could pass for a touch.

The virtual world kept shrinking and both it and the small girl flickered a few times. DV squeezed his glove hand, desperately trying to hold on to Amber and whispered: "I can't…"

Something grasped his shoulder in the real world and he dimly heard someone shouting near his earphone: "Stay connected! We're still downloading!"

Completing the download was the last thing on DV's mind as he saw Amber die. She closed her eyes for a moment which caused the virtual world to disappear. It was instead replaced by a screen which flickered rapidly through a set of images. Each image appeared only for a quarter of a second and DV literally saw the girl's life flash before his eyes.

He saw her play with what appeared to be her twin sister, run on the surface of Minerva, cry, laugh, wink and dance. The theme changed to a time where both sisters were sick, but even then the images were touching with Amber holding on to her sister's hand, talking or smiling. DV did not understand what disease had crippled her, but on some level he knew that she had never recovered.

The next set of images were apparently of a time where she had been first introduced to her virtual world and back then, it had been little more than a basic structure. Instead of falling apart, however, Amber had used it, creating trees, birds, wind, grass and everything that she found beautiful. She had constructed a virtual haven in her own mind and DV was surprised to see other Cybrans visit it. She talked, played or comforted them and the images flickered between a myriad of faces from different ethnic backgrounds.

Only one face was constantly displayed every few images and DV recognized what was most likely the aging twin sister. Although they were vastly different with one staying virtually young while the other had apparently been heavily modified with cybernetics, both had the same smile and it was clearly apparent they had remained close despite being worlds apart.

Tears ran down DV's face and his hand was growing numb from the constant shaking from the force feedback in his glove, but he did not care. He was witnessing the last moments of a Cybran… no… of a person who had devoted her entire life to helping others and searching for beauty. What's more, she had chosen to share them with him, a complete stranger who was to blame for capturing her. Amber opened her eyes and she smiled warmly one last time.

The simulation ended abruptly and the force feedback mechanisms stopped in DV's glove. He tore the headset away and saw that the doctors were scrambling all around him, surrounding the Cybran while trying to revive her. The only noise that registered in DV's consciousness was the shrill alarm from the nearby monitor which displayed a flat line.

**XXXXX**

"Multiple Cybran units detected on all fronts and a massive sea invasion has been spotted at the following coordinates," said the Analyst in agitation. He hesitated a second before adding: "It appears that the Cybrans have chosen to side with the UEF."

The Analyst turned around; seeking some kind of approval from the Avatar-of-War, but the man wore an expression of such intensity that the analyst dropped the notion. Marxon studied the situation in silence for a few seconds longer before finally speaking: "This is different…"

There was no way for Marxon to explain it so that anyone in the room would understand. Each battle had a feeling to it; an aura that only an experienced commander could feel. Aeons fought with harmony, the UEF usually fought according to protocol, but the Cybrans… each one of their so called Node had their style. Sneaky, brutal, elaborate, feints or obvious… one could only know after the first few minutes of battle. What was happening in this case was completely different and it was as if all aspects of Cybran military warfare had suddenly melded together… as if the Cybrans were fighting as one.

"Begin the evacuation," said Marxon suddenly, catching everyone by surprise. Every analyst in the room turned around in shock to look at him. One even stood up and spoke: "But we have not even engaged the Cybran main force yet nor do we have any idea of its size."

"I will not explain myself to you nor will I tolerate any further questioning of my orders," said Marxon back with a stern glare: "Comply."

The analysts in the room suddenly remembered that they were in the Avatar-of-War's presence and carried out their orders.

**XXXXX**

"Unbelievable," whispered Gauge. He was not one to be easily surprised and he had seen a lot of weird things in his life. None of it stacked up to the news that all available Cybran nodes had banded together to fight the Aeon and the UEF. Scorched Earth, Assumpta, Node Fifty-Six, Jade, Yamagata, Red Skull and dozens more had launched a full scale assault. A quick look at his screen showed that Valerie had dropped her stoic mask and that she was equally surprised: "Unity at last?"

"We can do the same," said Kazuo suddenly. Both Valerie and Gauge turned to Kazuo who was typing furiously on his console. Gauge was about to ask what he meant when a plan of attack was uploaded to his screen. He looked at it for a moment and his first impulse was to snort derisively, but he managed to keep it in check. Instead, he looked at Kazuo and saw that the other pilot was very serious: "This plan would require balls of steel."

The Jade Node pilot nodded and looked at Valerie before speaking: "And speed…"

The assassin tilted her head and looked back to Gauge: "And trust…"

Kazuo gave them a moment to ponder things before adding: "It requires all of our talents combined. The only question that matters now is this: are the events on Minerva a one shot deal; something that happens only once in a lifetime? Or can it be something more?"

The three pilots looked at each other for a moment and then nodded as one. Gauge activated all of his tactical displays and grunted as he plotted a new course: "Let's raise some Hell."

**XXXXX**

"I'm not allowed to do this, Colonel, and you should know it," said the technician stubbornly. Arnold refrained from cursing and forced a strained smile. He hoped that it looked good because it was about as much as he could muster: "Look, all I'm asking is for you to patch me into the audio feed of the group left on Minerva. Whatever's happening down there could very well spill all the way here if it turns ugly and I'd like it if I had a bit of an early warning. No harm can come from any of it and no one else needs to know."

The Earthcom technician looked away for a moment and Arnold feared that he would fall back on protocol. The guy sighed deeply and started typing on his console: "All right I'll do it, but if anyone gets too curious here then I'll have to cut the feed."

"Thanks buddy, I owe you one," said Arnold. He tried to throw one of his winning smiles which apparently unsettled the technician more than it reassured him. The whole time Arnold kept wondering how Riley had managed to do so much sucking up for years until the point where he became President. Arnold had barely tried it for a few minutes and he already felt like washing his tongue to get the taste out.

"There you go sir, audio link established," reported the technician a moment later. Arnold thanked him again, closed the channel and opened the audio feed. What he heard was more distressing than what he had imagined:

"Where the hell is that artillery fire coming from?"

"I'm hit, shields are down!"

"Where's my Omni sensor? God damn it, where is it?"

"It feels like there are a hundred ACUs out there!"

"Those Cybrans are everywhere!"

Arnold stopped the audio feed for a moment. From the sound of it, the Cybrans were pushing the UEF and the Aeon Illuminate at the same time? He quickly remembered a conversation with Samantha a few years ago. Back then, she had theorized that there were a lot more Cybrans out there than what they were led to believe. After listening to the audio feed, that theory appeared far less ludicrous than it once did: "The whole galaxy appears to be flipping upside down."

With that in mind, Arnold reactivated the audio link and listened to all the other stuff that Earthcom would not want him to know. Neither he nor any of the three other UEF pilots noticed the cloaked figure that slipped inside FortLytton.

**XXXXX**

A group of forty Harbingers took their positions along the coastline and waited for the enemy to appear. They stood perfectly still for several minutes before the battle exploded in the blink of an eye. Cybran submarines burst from the water, their light pulse laser barely scratching the hulls of the insect like robots. The Harbingers shot back instantly, but the submarines were but a distraction for the wave of Wagners that surged from the ocean floor and on the beach.

Dozens of amphibious tanks were destroyed in the first few seconds, but they were barely the Tip of the Spear as a group of four SCUs quickly followed and fired their EMP cannons. The disabling shockwaves created the opening that the Wagners needed and they pushed through it, destroying several harbingers in the process.

One of the SCUs surged ahead, brandishing a pole which automatically released a flag once it was fully out of the water. Bagby shouted a fierce battle cry as he fired his main gun, destroying a Harbinger and seriously damaging another. He moved ahead without slowing down, twirling the flag in the air once before slamming the pointed end straight through the damaged Harbinger's head: "My beach!"

Bagby was about to add another pun, but then a Monkeylord emerged behind him and fired its main laser. The red beam passed barely a meter above the SCU's head and sliced through four Harbingers in but a few seconds. Bagby dodged away as the experimental weapon move onward and then shook his head: "Those things might be fun, but they sure steal the poetry out of it."

The old Cybran turned to the three other pilots who had already laid out a few Sam launchers to take control of the air space and waved an arm: "Ok boys, you know the drill. Kill them or bed them, whichever you can do in two minutes."

Back on the other end of the battlefield, a Scathis which had been escorted by a pair of SCUs and a deceiver entered Redfog's forward base and stopped moving. The unit was transferred to the assassin who was then hailed by a pilot from the Yamagata Node: "Scathis transferred for your use. We have limited our experimental reinforcements to the Scathis against the UEF so that they won't learn of the Monkeylord just yet. If possible, we would like to keep that one a secret against them until the time where it is truly needed. That and it would not be very useful considering the presence of their Fatboys."

Redfog nodded curtly: "Agreed."

The Yamagata pilot searched for something else that would be inspiring to say, but there were limits to just how much the relations between the two bitter nodes could change: "Estimated time until the next Scathis is ready: five minutes."

The assassin closed the channel and took a moment to look at the battlefield. Each node was used to fighting with its own style, but every pilot was also a Cybran. Their AI implants allowed them to quickly learn from their mistakes and adapt their battle plans in record time. In the span of a few minutes, tactics that would have normally been mutually exclusive showed signs of adaptation, using each other's strengths and compensating for their weaknesses. Redfog nodded approvingly and assigned the first dozen targets to his new Scathis.

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 9 **

**Wolf **

"She told me that she had higher aspirations; that she was looking for a sense of adventure, hah! We're on the front line for crying out loud," complained Marc while chewing his piece of gum loudly. He turned to look at David and the latter only shrugged: "We're front line janitors; not ACU pilots. We're not saving the world or anything."

Marc snorted and banged a fist against one of the pillars that was part of the hospital's loft: "Oh sure, those hotshots have it all. They could just disintegrate the building and then remake it from scratch in a few minutes, couldn't they? But that would mean getting every patient, file, plush toy and souvenirs out of it first! Imagine doing that every time that you had a leaky pipe which would not happen in the first place if they changed the design according to what I sent them!"

David did not argue since he had heard similar arguments before against ACU pilots, doctors, nurses and just about every other profession out there that made more money than them. It seemed to him that he was listening to the same old rant every month or so. Still he nodded and said the only thing that had a chance of shortening it all: "Uh huh, yeah."

"See that pillar ahead?" said Marc while jabbing a finger forward: "The composite materials that those drones use to build it conducts too much heat. In winter, this makes the loft too hot, the snow melts on the roof, forms ice dams and then we either have water infiltrations or rust issues. Can you believe that the roof is meant to ward off a few plasma shots, but has issues if it snows too much, huh?"

Marc turned to David who nodded again: "Uh huh."

"You know I'm getting really sick of you always saying… hey what's that?" said Marc suddenly. He stopped dead in his tracks and leaned down: "The pipe is not leaking, but the sensor itself has been opened and there's something attached to it. There's no trace of rust anywhere …"

The technician scratched the back of his head in puzzlement as he tried to figure it out. Something was out of place and he felt the hair at the back of his neck stand on end: "Ok, I take it back, could you actually say something because this thing is creeping me out. I'll even settle for your usual 'uh huh'."

A loud crack was the only answer and Marc turned around just in time to see his partner fall to the ground with his head facing the wrong way. A single figure dressed in a black commando suit that covered its entire body stood in David's place. Everything happened in slow motion as Marc felt his mouth open wide and his piece of gum fall down. The intruder's movements were fluid, drawing a short plasma blade from his back and slashing forward. The technician felt a burning sensation along his forehead that lasted for a split second before everything blacked out. The gum fell on the ground and Marc followed quickly afterwards. The top half of his head rolled off as soon it collided with the ground.

Valerie removed her helmet and looked from the two bodies to her plasma wakizashi. She allowed the blade a moment to burn off the minute traces of blood that coated it before deactivating and sheeting it. She then quickly stripped off her gear, keeping only her underwear and her blade corset before moving to the technician's whose neck she had broken. She removed his clothes and put them on methodically, tightening and rearranging it so that the difference in size was barely perceptible.

Once that was done, she pulled a small box from her discarded equipment and opened it, revealing an array of surgical tools and tubes. She picked up one of the tubes and spread the pinkish substances on her hand before massaging her temples. A moment later, Valerie looked at her face in a small mirror and was satisfied that the plastic substance completely hid all traces of her facial circuitry. The rest of her implants would be hidden by her hair and all that was left was the final touch. She picked up a pair of skin colored implants and pressed them against her neck.

"Hello, my name is Valerie. It's a pleasure to see you," said the assassin. She smiled wickedly as she spoke, her voice now carrying the same resonance as any other human. It was the smile of a wolf in sheep's clothing.

**XXXXX**

Kazuo bit his nails nervously as he looked at the time. Their stealth bases were established, but they still needed Valerie's signal before beginning the operation. It was an unlikely possibility, but if the prisoners were no longer in the base or were dead then starting the attack would accomplish nothing but put the assassin in mortal danger. Now that they had a sizable base, however, every second that passed was another opportunity for the UEF to spot them using their scout planes. If that happened then their whole plan would also come crashing down.

All those possibilities twirled through Kazuo's head and he had to bring both hands in front of his mouth in order to avoid hyperventilating. Gauge's face appeared on his monitor just then and the other pilot groaned when he understood what was going through the younger pilot's head: "Listen twerp… your plan is fine and we'll pull it through if we all play our part. Just think happy thoughts…"

Coming from any other pilot, the words might have been comforting, but the way that Gauge barked them almost made it look like a threat. Kazuo nodded, but kept both hands in front of his mouth: "What is your happy thought?"

The giant of a man crossed both arms and it looked for a moment as if he would not answer. He then snorted and looked away: "Bacon."

Kazuo dropped both of his hands, unsure whether it was an answer, a riddle or an insult. Gauge looked up as if he was remembering something and his face lost its near permanent scowl: "We got some in a raid five years ago and it was so delicious, so unique…"

Gauge suddenly realized that he had opened up more than he had intended and his gruff expression returned immediately: "Anyway, just toughen up. Valerie will be contacting us soon, I'm sure of it. I might not like Assumpta pilots, but I can tell you this: anyone that can survive in that node won't go down without a fight… or without leaving a long trail of bodies along the way."

**XXXXX**

"They're shelling the hell out of us, sir!" said the UEF pilot in alarm: "I don't know what they're using, but it has a much higher range than our Fatboys and a faster cadence than a heavy artillery battery. We're building additional mobile and stationary shield generators, but the attack pattern is erratic and we can't predict what they are aiming at. The enemy's firing rate has also doubled in the past five minutes!"

Riley nodded as he acknowledged the commander's report and leaned forward: "Prepare for an immediate evacuation. Coordinates will be forwarded to you in a moment."

With that, he deactivated the channel and turned to the nearby analysts: "Determine which gate nexus besides FortLytton is the closest and forward those coordinates. Meanwhile, I want FortLytton's gate to be ready to transport the prisoners out of the area in a moment's notice. The effects of the quantum wake in that area should have disappeared by now."

Samantha waited for the orders to be issued before creeping closer: "Assigning a gate that is farther away could cost us almost a minute per commander."

She did not add that such a delay could easily cost the life of a few of them, but the President nodded: "The prisoners at FortLytton are the top priority. If the facility comes under attack then we'll need to evacuate them immediately instead of waiting for the effects of a quantum wake to dissipate because a few commanders gated in. The information is that important…"

It was apparent by Samantha's silence that she was unconvinced and this caused Riley to turn around: "None of us here expected a Cybran counter attack of this magnitude. If we failed to anticipate that then it's not outside the realm of possibilities that they could take the fight to FortLytton. I want the team that we sent there to have every available opportunity to either extract information or stabilize our problematic Cybran, but if they come under attack then I want them out immediately."

Samantha opened her mouth for a split second, but quickly closed it. She could see by the intense gleam in Riley's eyes that nothing would deter him from that decision. The President whirled around suddenly and looked to the other analysts: "Give me a situation report along the Aeon border. I want those fanatics out of UEF territory within the hour."

**XXXXX**

"I have to admit it, I had my doubts about you, but you pulled it off," said the black ops operative with an encouraging nod: "We downloaded all of it and it's composed of simulation data with the complexity of a scale that goes beyond anything that I have ever seen. We can't interpret it just yet, but I'm sure that we'll manage to do it in a few days. I don't want to speculate on it, but it could even be data concerning Cybran experimental weapons!"

The black ops officer placed a comforting hand on DV's shoulder, but the hacker barely felt it. He knew that the data had nothing to do with experimentals or even with the war. It was heaven… a small simulated piece of heaven. Somehow, the thought of anyone else but Amber holding it felt wrong and the urge the punch the officer grew in DV's heart. At the same time, a single thought formed into his mind: was this how Cybrans felt?

"You look exhausted," said the operative after taking a good look at DV: "Why don't you go outside and get some fresh air. Feel free to keep the laptop, find a comfortable spot and browse through the data if you want. We have multiple backups here."

The black ops officer patted him on the shoulder one more time before moving off. DV sighed in resignation and nodded, the last piece of outrage being crushed by the simple fact that he could not change anything.

**XXXXX**

A plastic cup dropped into the machine and a brownish liquid poured in it. When the concoction was complete, the glass window slid open and Desjar took the drink. He sniffed at it cautiously before taking a sip. He grimaced immediately and looked around for a way to dispose of it: "I guess that getting or growing some real coffee over here was too much of a hassle."

It looked like enjoying a pleasant meal and drink would not be a viable distraction and the pilot threw the disgusting drink in the garbage disposal unit. On impulse, he reached for his transmitter: "Hey Arnold, anything interesting happening out there."

The other pilot's face appeared on his transmitter and Desjar immediately knew that something was wrong: "Nothing good I'm afraid."

Desjar waited for an explanation, but he found his answer simply by listening carefully to the transmissions that were playing in the background: "Am I hearing what I think I'm hearing? We're not supposed to access live communications from other sectors… so how is it looking?"

"Apparently we're getting kicked around by the Cybrans and those bastards at Earthcom are trying to evacuate our guys off Minerva," answered Arnold. He frowned as he added: "They want to keep this gate ready for the prisoners 'just in case'."

It was obvious by Arnold's tone that he did not like the idea. Desjar was about to say something to cheer him up when the door opened at the other end of the hall. The same guy that the black ops team had previously dragged along stumbled out and sank into the nearest chair.

"I'll call you back Arnold," said Desjar while nodding to himself: "I might have some answers sitting right in front of me."

Arnold raised an eyebrow, but nodded and closed the channel. Desjar made his way towards the obviously shaken man and took a seat near him: "Are you feeling well? I'd offer you a cup of coffee, but considering what I sampled you might confuse it with an assassination attempt."

DV barely acknowledged Desjar's banter and kept looking at his laptop: "We had no right to do this to her. She had nothing to do with the war or anything else…"

Desjar did not know what had happened inside that room, but he knew better than to try to lighten the mood again with his usual tricks. It did not take any deductive skills to realize that the man sitting next to him was not part of Earthcom and he was certainly not a member of the black ops team.

Deep down, the pilot did not feel very cheerful either considering that he had been indirectly involved in the massacre of a Cybran node, responsible for separating children from their families and got his ACU seriously damaged in the same day. He was still in the process of figuring a new way to talk to the man near him when a technician passed in front of them. Desjar waited until she was out of reach before commenting: "Look at those curves…"

DV looked up from his contemplation and the two men gazed at the newcomer's back as she made her way around the corner. She had a light and athletic body that moved gracefully with each step. There was something else about her as well that Desjar could not put his finger on and attributed to some unknown womanly charm. DV looked back at him for a split second and gestured towards his hands: "You're married."

"And happily I might add. But still…" said Desjar while leaning forward as she disappeared around the corner. He smiled slightly as he added: "One can still appreciate the view. I did not see you looking away either."

The hacker blushed and pointed a finger towards the glassed room in front of them: "I'm not married and I was not the only one that noticed either."

Desjar smiled widely, believing that he had found an angle to approach that would eventually lead him to some answers. He followed DV's extended fingers and looked at the Cybran children. His gaze crossed that of the eldest child who quickly looked away as if he had been caught while doing something wrong. Desjar's smile slowly faded as all of his instincts told him that something was wrong. The child was not embarrassed as if he had somehow glimpsed at a woman inappropriately or if he had stolen his older brother's erotic magazines. This was the look of a child who had been caught doing something terribly wrong and was desperately acting as if nothing had happened.

"What coloration was her skin?" asked Desjar to no one in particular. DV assumed that he was speaking to him and shrugged: "I don't know… I was not exactly focusing on that part of her body."

Desjar stood up slowly and looked repeatedly from DV, the room with the children and the corridor that the technician had taken. He finally patted his holster to make sure that his gun was still strapped and started walking after her. DV stood up behind him: "What's going on?"

The pilot ignored the question and kept moving forward while motioning for the hacker to sit back down.

**XXXXX**

A few more minutes passed and Kazuo was still biting his nails nervously when a green light suddenly appeared on his monitor. He raised both arms up in victory and cried: "Yatta! She did it!"

The Jade Node pilot typed furiously on his keyboard, accessing the UEF base's network using the opening that the Assumpta assassin had provided. He spoke to Gauge without looking at the other pilot on his monitor: "Three minutes!"

**XXXXX**

Desjar cursed loudly as he ran through the corridor. He had lost the technician's trail due to his earlier hesitation and he had spent the last few minutes running around the nearby corridors without any success. He finally stopped in the main hall on the first floor and gave it some further thought. If he was a lone terrorist moving on foot then what would he do? Place a bomb in the hospital to kill the prisoners before any information could be extracted? He had never heard of Cybrans killing each other in such a fashion and a bombing run would make more sense in any case.

The idea of hailing the station's security center and raise an alarm crossed his mind, but what would he say? That a Cybran kid looked at a hot technician and got the jitters? There was no way that they would take him seriously on the basis of a gut feeling or through the description that he could provide. Desjar was about to give up when he heard a voice further down the corridor: "Man did that newbie look hot or what? I'll see if she wants to take a look at my pipe a bit later if you know what I mean."

Desjar spotted the pair of guards near the hospital's entrance and rushed towards them. They tensed when they saw him run, but he brought his identity card up as he reached them: "I'm Colonel Desjar, is the woman that you're talking about a technician about this high and walking at a quick pace by any chance?"

He brought his hand at the level of his chin and the two guards nodded quickly: "Oh yeah, hard to miss a new face around here and especially when it's attached to um… I mean, yes sir. She passed right by us a few minutes ago and went towards the maintenance tunnel's access hatch. She's probably going to reinitiate the gate's command codes now that the newly built one has been transferred to FortLytton's computer core. We can't leave it with the default password after all or something like that."

The string of curses that escaped Desjar's mouth startled both guards. If his instincts were right then the gate would be sabotaged just like what happened on Minerva: "The two of you come with me, hurry!"

**XXXXX**

"Arnold! Arnold do you hear me?" came Desjar's voice through the transmitter. The urgency in his voice quickened Arnold's moves as he opened a channel: "What's wrong?"

"I think we've been infiltrated," reported Desjar in a hurry: "Send scout planes on a wider arc and see if you can spot anything that would indicate an imminent Cybran attack."

Arnold quickly sent the instructions to the other ACU pilots and readied his own units for battle: "Did you pick up anything down there?"

"Nothing yet," answered Desjar. His voice darkened as he added: "But if I don't call you back in the next five minutes then you'll know something happened."

**XXXXX**

Valerie bolted the panel back in place using the tools that she had acquired along with her uniform. She dusted off her hands and frowned at the sheer amount of primitive machinery that surrounded her in the base's underground maintenance corridors. The sound itself was deafening and the leaking pipes were proof enough that the design had not been adapted to the planet's environments. The whole setup would rust and decay in time much like the UEF.

"Freeze!" came the sudden order. The shout startled the assassin who cursed at herself for being distracted by her surroundings. She turned her head slightly and spotted two guards and what appeared to be an officer without his uniform with their weapons trained on her. The officer shouted loudly enough to be heard over the cacophony from the nearby machines: "Name, rank and identification number, now!"

The assassin raised both hands and turned around slowly as she spoke: "Valerie Rosetta, technician second class, identification number twelve, three hundred and forty three, recently transferred. I was performing routine maintenance concerning the integration of the new quantum gate."

Desjar kept his gun trained on her and barely twisted his head towards one of the guards: "Check it and hurry."

The man did as he was asked, picking up his transmitter and hailing the security department. Desjar kept his weapon trained on the technician as the guard spoke the identification codes, but his gut feeling intensified as he looked into her eyes. They looked back at him unblinkingly with a mixture of cold anger and intense determination… the same type of eyes that the Cybran children had.

"She's not filed," reported the guard a moment later. The man could not help but eye Valerie's body as he added: "But it can take a few days for a record to be transferred properly in all our systems."

This was not the time to try and score points with the hot new arrival and Desjar was about to shout exactly that when the lights suddenly blinked red, indicating that their base was under attack. They were distracted for a split second and that was all the time that Valerie needed. A trio of throwing knives that had been hidden in her sleeves appeared in the blink of an eye and she dodged to the side while throwing them. Desjar did not see the blades, but reacted to the burst of motion by pressing the trigger, dodging to the side and shouting: "Down!"

He felt the blade pass within a hair of his ear and he tried to use his free hand to push the guard to his right along with him. The ACU pilot hit the floor rolling and had enough momentum to reach the cover of a large pipe. When he looked back, he saw one of the guards topple to the ground with a blade through the eye while the one that he had pushed fell screaming while holding the side of his bleeding neck. Desjar fired towards the assassin, but cursed as she jumped and somersaulted around, moving as if she was a ballerina before finding cover behind a pillar. Desjar emptied a clip to keep her pinned down and reached for the bleeding guard: "Come on!"

A pair of knives flashed through the air and Desjar barely retracted his arm in time to avoid one of them. The second caught the guard under the jaw, piercing it and transforming his screams into a fit of convulsions as he drowned in his own blood. Desjar's scrambled behind the pipe while reloading and held on to his gun tightly as beads of nervous sweat accumulated on his forehead.

**XXXXX**

Multiple enemy signals appeared simultaneously on Arnold's radar and he cursed loudly. He and the other commanders were ready thanks to Desjar's warnings and he immediately opened a channel to Earthcom: "This is Arnold from FortLytton, we're under attack. If you wanted to pull out your prisoners then now would be a hell of a good time to do so. We'll keep them busy long enough for the evacuation and then we'll see if we can take the fight to them."

There was an immediate confirmation and Arnold opened another channel to Desjar: "Desjar come in. Desjar!"

**XXXXX**

Valeria stood calmly behind the pillar with a throwing knife in each hand. She had taken the time to open her jacket, revealing the multiple blades that were strapped to her chest and making it easier to reach them. The assassin had already determined that the officer facing her was not someone working at a desk job. His reflexes were too finely honed, allowing him to avoid two of her blades and even forcing her to use a second one to finish off a guard that should have died in her initial attack.

The assassin's thoughts were interrupted when the officer's transmitter burst to life: "Desjar come in. Desjar!"

The officer grabbed the transmitter with his free hand, but Valerie was already moving, sprinting from behind her cover and towards the opposite wall to get a better angle. She saw the officer with the transmitter in hand through the half formed reflections of the surrounding pipes. She calculated the angles precisely thanks to her AI and threw her first knife. It hit one of the pipes and ricocheted towards the officer, tearing a gash along his shoulder. The man gasped and dropped the transmitter in surprise. Valerie threw the second knife and it hit the dropped transmitter a second later, piercing its screen and slapping it away in the process.

The assassin ducked as a hail of bullets answered her attack and she pushed against the wall to roll back towards her pillar. To the officer's credit, one bullet did graze her leg, but it was a minor flesh wound and she was back where she started in less than two seconds. She drew a new pair of blades as the man reloaded his gun.

Valerie looked around the corner of her pillar and spoke in a cold voice that somehow carried over the noise of the nearby machinery: "Desjar… How will Jessy react when she learns that you were killed today?"

The following hesitation was all the confirmation that she needed and she smiled wickedly as she spoke: "So you are indeed the ACU pilot known as Desjar. I admit that it was a lucky guess on my part, but you have an unusual name and your reflexes were a dead giveaway. Our files on you are quite extensive so go ahead and tell me: what will Jessy say at your funeral… and what will she say to your daughter when she grows up?"

Desjar felt the sudden urge to charge with his gun blazing, but he knew that this was exactly what the assassin wanted. The wound along his shoulder stung, but he could tell from a quick look that the cut was not deep. The ACU pilot briefly looked around the corner to memorize their environment before speaking: "Nice try, freak, but you're trapped and I'm covering the only exit out of this chamber. You can't blow up the gate from here without getting killed in the process and you won't make it out even with a barrel full of knives!"

The assassin shrugged slightly and spoke with the same emotionless voice: "You are right about one thing: you are in my way. I have a limited number of knives and you have a limited number of bullets. It is very likely that one of us will not survive this day… but I'm ready to die. Are you?"

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 10 **

**Human hearts **

DV started the program and watched as it deleted the encrypted security protocols of his computer. He had written that program two months ago and was surprised that it actually worked on the machine that the UEF had provided. A few movements of his fingers were all that he needed to unlock its backup module and he heard a satisfying click a second later.

The hacker quickly removed his gloves and headset before opening the side compartment and taking a look at the backup disk. It was no bigger than a watch and unlike the traditional storage unit, it could only read and write data but not delete it. It was the ultimate safety measure against malicious programs… and the one location where it was absolutely certain that Amber's paradise was located.

The door behind DV opened and the hacker barely managed to close the side compartment in time as the leader of the black ops team grabbed his arm: "We're under attack! We'll board the first transport that leaves with the other Cybrans. Those terrorists won't have the opportunity to steal what we have acquired!"

DV sighed as he was once again dragged down the corridors. He spared a look behind him and caught a glimpse of the Cybran children as they too were being escorted to the personnel transport chamber. A small part of him wondered why they were suddenly so calm and willing to cooperate.

**XXXXX**

Desjar stood with his back against the pipe, trying his best to keep the hand that was holding his pistol from shaking. He mentally cursed the low level encryption protocols that were used in his transmissions to Earth and he had no doubt that the Cybrans were quite capable of intercepting and decoding those. He had simply never imagined that individual Cybrans would memorize such personal information in order to use it against him. If they knew that much then what else could they do?

Hundreds of scenarios flashed through Desjar's head in rapid succession, each of them involving his family in a way or another. The ACU pilot forced himself to stop thinking about it and took a steadying breath. The problem was not that he was facing a skillful assassin or that she possessed intimate knowledge about him. The problem was simply that he had refused to face the very possibility of his death and its associated consequences up until now.

"You really want to know about my family?" asked Desjar with a snort: "Jessy would be devastated and she would mourn for me. Nevertheless, I'd expect her to recover and to find happiness again one day. I would also trust her to tell our daughter what I stood for when she deems her old enough."

Desjar took a deep breath and steadied his hand, no longer as nervous now that he had spoken his thoughts aloud. The assassin had not moved from behind her cover and her voice remained unchanging: "You still have time to escape if you want."

Was it a trap or a form of mercy? Desjar could not really tell which and he smiled sadly: "I can't do that. As much as I'd like to stay close to my family, I still have to do my part to keep them safe."

"Your reasoning is foolish," said Valerie while twirling both of her throwing knives. For a moment, she yearned for the wakizashi that she had left with the rest of her gear: "But at least it is an honest answer. I promise that I'll make your death as quick as possible."

Desjar chuckled as he stood ready: "Do forgive me if I actually try to prevent that."

The UEF pilot had meant it as a jest, but had not expected the serious reply: "You are forgiven."

Valerie sprang into motion before anything else could be said, throwing three knives in quick succession. One of them hit the wires of a nearby junction box, throwing the entire room into complete darkness. The remaining two hit a set of emergency lights and destroyed the projectors before they could come online. Desjar knew that the assassin would most likely never have allowed him to leave the room, but he half regretted not taking her offer anyway. The sound of rapid footsteps warned him that he had better act quickly or die and he sprinted to the side while shooting four times in quick succession.

Each shot illuminated the room for a split second, revealing the assassin as she ran, jumped or somersaulted his way. None of the bullets found their mark and Desjar could remember her words as she closed in the final two meters: 'I'll make your death as quick as possible'. There was no time to dodge, no practical way to block and hitting her seemed impossible. One last desperate idea sprung to mind and there might not even be enough time to do it.

Valerie made one last dodge to the side while keeping a low profile to minimize the chances of being hit and sprang forward with a knife in hand. She had memorized the layout of the room perfectly and adjusted her course after the illumination from each shot. She thrust with her arm and felt the familiar feeling of her blade piercing flesh and sinking all the way to the hilt. The UEF pilot must have been about to jump to the side since his body fell away from her immediately and collided with a nearby pipe. She silently regretted being unable to drive a second blade through the body, but the sound of the following crash combined with the nearby machinery made it impossible to tell how it was positioned and there were limits to what she could do without a light source. Valerie only hoped that she had delivered on her promise as she stormed out of the room and headed towards the personnel gate chamber.

**XXXXX**

"You'd better not run, you'd better not cry! You better look out we're gonna kick your hide!" sang the old pilot with obvious glee: "Bagby and boys are coming to town! They know when you'll be sleeping…"

The song went on and Dostya grinned despite herself, imagining the Aeon and UEF analysts that were listening in on the low level encryption transmission. They would no doubt try to find some kind of code or hidden meaning in the words, but the truth was that there was no meaning to Bagby's off key raving. The old pilot was simply being himself which would be disturbing to anyone who was not used to it.

An urgent transmission with a high encoding indicator suddenly flashed on her screen and she muted the song before opening the channel: "This is Dostya."

The agitated face of a young pilot appeared on her screen and Dostya recognized him from the meeting. The man bowed his head briefly before speaking: "This is Kazuo Ishii of the Jade Node; we are in need of assistance. We have initiated an attack to rescue the prisoners at FortLytton and as far as we can tell, everything is going according to plan. The UEF module carrying the prisoners should be transported to these coordinates within the next few minutes. Please assist in its retrieval."

Dostya's eyes widened as she looked at her tactical screen, but fortunately for them, the coordinates were behind their line. She still frowned darkly at the younger pilot: "If the UEF follows standard protocol then there will be armed guards inside that transport and everyone could be killed the moment that they realize that they are on Minerva. We don't have enough time to muster a commando squad at the coordinates that you provided!"

The Jade Node pilot nodded quickly, but did not back down: "We could not risk sending a warning prior to our attack for fear of detection. However, Valerie will be aboard and her ACU is already set up at a hidden base to be transported afterwards. If we're lucky she will..."

Redfog's face appeared on both of their screens and Dostya remembered at that moment that she kept an open link with all other high ranked commanders. The assassin stared at Kazuo furiously and this time, the Jade Node pilot appeared to shrink right in front of them: "You're a fool if you believe in luck! Dostya, I will handle this and Kazuo…"

The leader of the Assumpta node glared at the younger pilot for a few seconds before speaking in a low and threatening voice: "If Valerie does not make it then pray that we do not cross paths…"

**XXXXX**

Rhiza's hands moved over her controls in a blur, but while her mind was still focused on the battle, her heart was elsewhere. It was neither the Avatar's orders nor the implications behind them. Every Aeon commander knew that ordering a retreat in the middle of a large scale battle meant that the last few to leave would most likely die. Although it was sad way to leave this existence, there was no shame in death since it would only mean that they would become one with The Way.

What disturbed Rhiza were the Cybran transmissions that she listened to while fighting. Most were just different types of gibberish ranging from songs, cries, litanies or threats, but it was not the words that she was paying attention to, but the feelings behind them. Training in The Way allowed an individual to grow a greater level of empathy based on nonverbal clues and most commanders used those teachings to get an edge on their opponents.

Naturally she felt an abundance of anger in the Cybran transmissions, but there was also many other emotions that she could pick up such as hatred, pleasure, vengeance, justice, honor and fury. Many of those emotions had no place in a battle and most were even contradictory by nature. So how could anyone or anything fight with such motivations and more puzzling still, how could they all fight together?

A light appeared on her monitor, indicating that it was her turn to transfer her troops to the other commanders and head for their gate nexus. Rhiza did as instructed and then gazed at the chaotic battle scene one last time: "Hold fast sisters. I hope that many of you return home safely."

**XXXXX**

A wing of interceptors decimated the Cybran bombers, but Arnold pulled them back before they went too far. One of the other commanders was about to send a task force composed of Titans north, but Arnold opened a channel to stop him: "Hold it. We're not moving out until the prisoners are off the planet; Presidential orders. We can't leave a single hole in our defense."

"But sir, the Cybrans forces are dispersed all over the map and have yet to mount a single successful push!" countered one of the other pilots: "We should strike now before they can get entrenched any further."

The commander's reasoning mirrored Arnold's, but both of them knew that it would be folly to disobey a direct order under those circumstances. Deep down, Arnold knew that something about the whole attack felt wrong, but he would only be free to act once the prisoners were off world.

He tried to hail Desjar again, but there was still no answer and Arnold's knuckles whitened in worry: "Stop playing stupid jokes and answer! I don't want to go see Jessy with bad news…"

**XXXXX**

Only a minute had passed since the altercation and nothing had moved in the darkness during that time. The only sound that could be heard was the constant cacophony of the nearby machinery and the steady whine of a power transfer. A figure suddenly slumped out of the dark room while keeping an arm close to his chest and using the other to feel his way through. Desjar looked around in the dimly light corridor to make sure that the assassin was not there before cursing and then saying: "That was the stupidest…"

The whine of the nearby power capacitors warned him that it was nearly full and his eyes widened at the implications. He ran as quickly as he could with his arm dripping blood and jumped down a flight of stairs just as the whine reached its peak. Desjar rolled and gasped as a surge of pain coursed through his arm, but managed to stop himself and stayed crouched in a ball. He waited like this for several seconds before finally raising his head: "No explosion?"

The pilot sat against the wall, lowered his gun to the ground and looked at his injured arm while cursing himself even more. He had known in that last split second that there was nothing that he could do to stop the assassin's charge and that relying on luck would have been suicidal. Instead of firing a fifth and final shot, he had brought both arms up vertically so that they could block the most obvious attack angles: his throat and heart. Lucky for him, the assassin had opted to stab him through the chest, but the blade had instead pierced his right arm. Without any light and with the deafening sound of the nearby machinery there had been no way for her to tell if her blow had been a fatal one, but the whole situation puzzled him.

Desjar removed his shirt while taking care to minimize contact with the bleeding arm and used it as a bandage while thinking of the situation. He was the only one that could identify her and yet she had left in a hurry without making sure that he was dead. Time was therefore a factor, but why had the power capacitor not exploded? It did not take much more than a single overload to start a chain reaction that would disable a quantum gate for several minutes at least. Desjar found his answer as a second power capacitor powered up.

They were not going to destroy the quantum gate… they were going to use it! With the quantum gate back under FortLytton's control, it could technically be possible for someone to hack it's systems to change the coordinates. The odds were that only one transport could be diverted in such a manner, but since the prisoners would be transported first then that was all that the Cybrans needed. The attack was not an attempt to take back the prisoners through military power but a gambit to force the UEF to use its gate!

Desjar finished his bandage and immediately reached for his transmitter, but remembered that the assassin had destroyed it. He could go back in the maintenance room and try to find the device that that they were using to hack the gate remotely, but without the tools and without any light source it would be impossible to do it in time. Desjar took his pistol which barely had five bullets left before rushing down the corridor after her.

**XXXXX**

Eleven of the Cybrans had been kept in the prison cells close to the quantum gate and were transferred the moment that the attack had begun. Peuran was amongst them with his hands and feet restrained so that he could barely move. They were all placed in the same model of transport that had been used on Minerva and the security chief looked at his captors with contempt. There was no point in making an outburst now, however, and he still allowed the guards to chain him to his seat. The occasion to act would present itself… hopefully.

The sound of footsteps alerted Peuran that others were coming and he assumed a non-aggressive stance. He heard something else as well and for a moment, he could have sworn that it was someone crying. The door opened and the sound immediately confirmed that it was the case and that it came from one of the Cybran children. Peuran could not blame whoever it was and only so much stoicism could be expected from children, but he only understood the reason when Amber's body was carried aboard the transport.

She was dead and every Cybran in the transport realized it instantly. A sheet was covering her frail body, but did not mask the tubes and probes that the UEF doctors had not bothered to remove in their haste to transport her out. Peuran felt the reality of the situation crush him and the small part of him that managed to remain rational was glad that everyone else in the transport had similar reactions. He had failed to save Delphi's sister… and because of that an angel had died.

The cries intensified and caught Peuran's attention. The youngest of the Cybran's children was the most upset and the security chief knew that some of the other adults that had been close to Amber could barely hold back their own tears. Something was off however… children from the Sunam Node cried like every other, but not that loudly. Peuran's rational side took over as he looked for what was amiss and his gaze was immediately drawn to the eldest child who was looking at him straight in the eyes. He saw the same pain in them, but he saw something else in there… a shred of hope.

When the eldest child knew that he had Peuran's attention he looked towards the door for a fraction of a second, towards the youngest child and then back to Peuran. He then opened his eyes wider as if to make a point out of it. In that instant, the chief of security was glad that there was more to a Cybran than merely cybernetic implants and he understood the message. The UEF base was under attack, that much was obvious, but somehow the children had spotted something out there. The youngest child's cries were genuine… but they were also exaggerated to draw everyone's attention. Peuran only hoped that he had picked up the clues correctly as he allowed his own tears to flow: "She was an angel… just an angel that had nothing to do with this war!"

His words stunned Cybrans, guards and black ops operatives alike. The other prisoners looked at him with a mixture of shock, betrayal, confusion and sadness. A few of them spilled genuine tears while others realized that something was up and followed his lead by muttering their own curses.

The man who appeared to be in charge of the black ops team looked at them in disgust and shook his head: "Who knew Cybrans were so easily broken…"

**XXXXX**

In all of DV's life, there would never be a more disturbing sight than a group of Cybrans crying in unison around Amber's body. It was made even more disturbing by the fact that he was crying with them over someone that he had barely met for a few minutes. One of the black ops members noticed this and sneered in disgust: "Show some dignity for crying out loud!"

The hacker opened the side panel of his computer instead of answering, ejected the backup disk and placed it in Amber's hand: "This belonged to her..."

The Cybrans looked at him in confusion and DV felt a pair of hands grasp him by the collar and lift him off his seat before slamming him in the wall: "What the hell are you doing? They are the enemy! They are nothing more than cybernetic terrorists bent on destroying humanity as we know it! Heck, there's barely anything human left in them anymore!"

DV did not even try to defend himself and dropped his computer to the side: "Is there anything human left in you?"

A blow in the guts was his only answer.

**XXXXX**

Three blades… that was the extent of Valerie's arsenal as she made her way towards the transport while appearing to make routine checks. If was likely that there was a whole commando team in there which represented perhaps eight or nine soldiers. It was probable, however, that most of them had been ordered to board the transport in a hurry and that they therefore did not have any time to get suited up. Humans being what they were, it was likely that the commandos had removed most of their heavy armor and weapons once their team had been successfully extracted from Minerva.

"Is it my imagination or are the power capacitors taking a long time to charge?" observed a nearby technician, exposing one major flaw of Kazuo's plan. The Jade Node pilot was using the hacking transmitter that Valerie had implanted to change the coordinates and fool the UEF's sensors into relaying false data. However, it could not change the simple fact that it took a lot more power to send the transport without a receiving gate on the other end. If the guards inside the transport realized it then her odds of overpowering them would be greatly reduced. The entire plan revolved around the only Cybrans that she had managed to get in contact with while using hand signs… a trio of children.

The assassin's concerns evaporated when she moved within hearing range of the transport and heard a gruff voice shout over the cries of many: "I thought that you would be an asset, but you're nothing but a disgrace… no, a traitor! You prefer machines over your very own kind!"

Valerie smiled, unsure whether the children were somehow involved, but persuaded that that she could not have dreamed of a better distraction. Her thoughts were interrupted as another technician moved close to her: "Hey, your leg is bleeding."

"I just got careless while opening a panel with a sharp edge, but I'll have it looked at once the battle over," answered Valerie as confidently as she could: "I have to play my part first before I worry about scratches!"

Valerie smiled widely as if to emphasis her point and the other technician looked at her doubtfully. The man then shrugged and went back to work: "Whatever you say, but being overzealous in the maintenance department never got me any promotion. If I were you, I'd use it as an excuse to go on medical leave."

The assassin pretended to give it some thought before nodding: "Um… that could be interesting. I could use an off world vacation…"

Valerie nodded one last time before resuming her course towards the transport. She could not help but smile wickedly as she considered the irony of her last statement.

**XXXXX**

Desjar stumbled down the corridor and nearly slammed into a technician. The man cried out in surprise at first, but quickly dropped his tools and raised his hands when he noticed Desjar's gun: "Don't shoot! I have a wife and kid!"

"The personnel gate, where is it?" asked Desjar in a hurry. The technician pointed a trembling finger to his right and Desjar nodded his thanks before adding: "Call the control center and tell them to scrub the launch if they can, we've been hacked!"

The odds were that too much power had been drawn out already and that the system would not allow a shutdown due to the risks of overload. Even if it did, it was likely that the Cybrans still had access to their systems and would attempt to hinder their efforts. In the end, it all came down to whether Desjar could warn the others of the impending attack or stop the assassin himself.

Desjar heard the familiar sounds of a personnel gate complex up ahead and the first thing that he saw when he reached it was that the transport was still in place. The second was the assassin step inside and he immediately raised a hand to point at her: "Stop…"

Someone tackled him before he could finish the sentence and cried out: "He's got a gun, stop him!"

**XXXXX**

Valerie dimly heard someone shouting outside, but the commotion was nothing next to the drama that was going on within the transport. There were fifteen Cybran prisoners including one which appeared to be dead. They were all weeping or otherwise trying to keep their captors' attention, but the star of the show was apparently a confrontation between some kind of tech specialist and a black ops operative. Because of them, almost everyone had their backs turned to her. Valerie counted a total of eight men carrying side arms, but none of them were wearing full combat armor. Some still had pieces, but each had weak points.

A pair of blades appeared in her hands and she stabbed the nearest soldiers without anyone noticing, cutting off the artery that pumped blood into his brain. The assassin then steered the falling body so that one of the prisoners strapped against the wall would catch it. The UEF soldier was dead as the Cybran prisoner caught him and a split second later two more found a blade plunged into their spine.

**XXXXX**

DV dimly remembered thinking that Riley would have never trusted him no matter what he had done to prove himself. The point was driven home as the black ops leader punched him in the guts again. The man slammed the hacker into the wall one more time for good measures and was about to say something else, but DV was no longer focusing on him but was instead looking at the falling soldiers near the entrance: "Oh no…"

The leader of the black ops team realized that something was wrong and he looked back in time to see a second pair of soldiers fall to the ground. The shock was so great that he lost his footing for a moment as he tried to twist around and winded up falling into the row of bound Cybrans. The motion sent DV tumbling as well and he fell face to face with one the prisoners who halted his descent as much as she could. She looked at him straight in the eyes before saying: "Get out before it's too late."

She pushed him back up with what limited movement that she could muster and he ran towards the exit. He saw the assassin disguised as a technician flick her wrist in his direction and a throwing knife flew towards him. The weapon barely missed his head and caught one of the soldiers in the eye. DV ran towards the exit and feared being cut down as he passed by the assassin, but she had other priorities.

**XXXXX**

"I'm an ACU pilot, you moronic idiot!" shouted Desjar as he tried to wrestle his way free. One of the technicians twisted his injured arm and he cried out as he added: "There's an assassin in the transport."

Three technicians were trying to wrestle him to the ground, but the fourth turned around and saw the splash of blood that covered one of the windows: "Holy cow, he's right!"

Everyone let go of Desjar and he managed to get back up just as the hacker that he had met earlier came stumbling out of the transport. The transport's door closed behind him in that instant and Desjar cursed loudly.

**XXXXX**

Peuran held on to the lead black ops operative as much as he could, but his restraints limited his movements. Yet every second that he managed to hold on was one more where the assassin could do her work. Her graceful movements were both scary and strangely beautiful all at once, but they definitely marked her as an Assumpta. At the moment, she was still the most welcomed sight that the security officer had ever seen.

Five soldiers had been killed before anyone had realized that she was there and a thrown knife had finished off another. She stabbed one of the remaining soldiers repeatedly with her two remaining knives while keeping him between her and the last one that Peuran was holding. The struggling black ops operative's foot came up just then and caught Peuran under the nose, breaking it and slamming his head against the wall. This weakened his hold slightly and the man managed to break himself free and reach for his gun. He had no firing angle on the assassin so he used his last remaining option: he emptied his entire clip through the remaining soldier. The man collapsed and so did the assassin.

**XXXXX**

Desjar grabbed DV and dragged him behind the security line. The secondary panel was lowering in order to seal off the transport from the rest of the facility and Desjar brought his gun up and took aim. One of the technicians came to him and tried to stop him: "What are you doing? If you…"

"If I shoot one of the transport's window open then the energy wave will kill them all before they reach their destination, right?" shouted Desjar back while steadying his hand: "It's the only way to prevent them from escaping. The transport has been hacked…"

The technician looked from the transport to Desjar repeatedly: "But if you're wrong then you'll be accused of treason and executed…"

The ACU pilot hesitated, but not because of what the man had said. His vision was beginning to get blurry from the loss of blood, but he could see the eldest child through the transport's window. Time slowed for an instant as the two of them locked stares, but Desjar did not press the trigger. The child raised his hand as if to say goodbye, but Desjar could barely register the motion. His gun fell from his trembling fingers and the ACU pilot collapsed to the ground. The secondary panel closed shut, sealing the transport from the rest of the facility.

**XXXXX**

A bright flash blinded them all and the leader of the black ops team closed his eyes reflexively. He expected to die in that moment, but when he opened his eyes, the assassin was sprawled on the ground and her throwing knives were apparently stuck in the last soldier. Four bullets had found her body with two of them piercing her belly, one opening her hip and another having torn her shoulder. The man reloaded his weapon and advanced on her: "You killed my men, you freak!"

He crept closer and kicked her in the face for good measure. There was nothing that the assassin could do to prevent it and the black ops leader grew bolder and kicked her two more times: "I won't go easy on you, any of you! We'll extract everything, any piece of information! Then we'll do it again and again until there's nothing left to pick. This is the end of the road, welcome to Earth!"

The operative laughed hysterically when the door opened as if to confirm his predictions. Had he been more in control of his emotions and looked out the window then he would have noticed that there were not inside the receiving end of a quantum gate and he would have reacted more quickly. Instead, his eyes widened when he saw the figure in the doorway with a sword in hand. The figure sprinted towards him with inhuman speed and slashed through his shoulder in a heartbeat. The black ops operative felt a sharp pain and then to his surprise his arm fell to the ground. He screamed as his assailant grabbed him by the throat with a single hand and lifted him off his feet.

Redfog looked at the screaming human in contempt and was about to finish him when he noticed Valerie's broken body. He changed his mind in that instant, sheeting his blade, bringing both hands around the man's neck and upper jaw and squeezing slowly. An agonizing scream filled the transport followed by the sound of rupturing flesh and breaking bones. It ended with a wet gurgle and when it was over, the leader of the Assumpta node threw the useless body to the ground.

The assassin's eyes met Peuran for a moment before he reached down, picked up the operative's keys and threw it to him. Redfog then went to Valerie, lifted her and walked out of the transport.

**XXXXX**

"All right, the prisoners are out," said Arnold in relief. He then took control of a large attack group before adding: "Time to show those bastards what real commanders are made of!"

Arnold grinned wildly as he selected a group of broadswords and air superiority fighters. He was just about to send them out for an attack when a string of explosions lit the horizon. Arnold looked at his tactical screen and confirmed that all Cybran signals were gone: "They… left?"

Someone hailed Arnold and he quickly opened the channel: "This is FortLytton's control center; our quantum gate has been hacked and the Cybran prisoners have used it to escape. We have also found colonel Desjar…"

Arnold's eyes widened and he plotted a course straight for the quantum gate.

**Epilogue **

Twenty-four hours later…

The door opened and Redfog stepped out of the room. The assassin stopped briefly in front of Ell and looked at her. She nodded slightly and answered his unasked question: "She will make a full recovery given time. I'll make sure that she's in peak condition before returning her to you."

The assassin nodded and walked away without saying anything. Kazuo and Gauge stood against the wall further down the corridor and the Jade Node pilot held his breath when the assassin stopped in front of him. Redfog turned his head and glared at him for several seconds before finally saying: "Make plans with fewer variables…"

The assassin then walked away and Kazuo let go of the breath that he had been holding. Gauge gave him a gentle slap on the shoulder, but the giant's blow was enough to knock the wind out of him: "I guess you're off the hook, huh?"

"I don't know," answered Kazuo, a note of worry slipping into his voice: "He seems kind of angry."

Ell made her way towards them and shrugged slightly: "Remember who you're talking about. With him, there's angry and maybe there's 'less angry'. At any rate, you'll never know whether it's an order, a piece of advice or a threat. Just do yourself a favor and take the time to learn from your mistakes before he decides that he would make a better teacher."

Kazuo sighed in resignation, but Ell placed a comforting hand on his shoulder: "Valerie has been asking about you. You can go ahead and visit her if you want."

The Jade Node pilot nodded while Gauge stretched his arms: "Well, that's my cue to leave. Drop by the bar at the Red Skull Node when you're done, squirt. I heard that Bagby's throwing a party and everyone's invited."

Gauge watched Kazuo nod and step into Valerie's room. The giant snorted when he was gone and spoke under his breath: "Too kind for his own damned good."

**XXXXX**

"I'm glad that you're ok," said Kazuo while sinking into the chair next to the bed: "I was really worried about you and if there's anything that I can do to make up for my lack of foresight then all you have to do is ask."

Valerie nodded curtly at Kazuo's offer: "Thank you, but no."

The two of them waited together for several minutes in silence. When Kazuo dared to truly look at Valerie's face, he saw a fleeting smile and he dared to break the silence: "You look… happy? From the way that Redfog walked out of here earlier, I thought that he was furious."

"He was," answered Valerie cryptically. Kazuo looked at her in puzzlement and she shrugged slightly as she added: "He crushed the operative's head instead of slicing it off."

The Jade Node pilot waited patiently for some further explanation, but he would not get any. Only an Assumpta would understand the significance behind that act. Redfog had been furious at her, that much was true. Maybe he had been angry at her lack of foresight, at getting injured, at following Kazuo's rushed plan or perhaps because she had failed to carry it out successfully. He had not spoken to her about that nor would she dare to ask.

What mattered in the end, however, was that he had been angry enough to crush the operative's head. He had deliberately taken the time to inflict bodily harm without any other purpose behind it. Contrary to popular belief, members of the Assumpta Node almost never inflicted pain without some form of purpose behind it. To do so would be a waste of time and efforts which could be better spent elsewhere.

Redfog had channeled his unmatched fury just for her sake… what greater honor could an Assumpta pilot ever hope for?

**XXXXX**

Rhiza and Ariel stepped out of the Avatar's office and both felt a sense of relief flow through them. The audience had been nothing more than a meeting designed to discuss their battle, what they had learned, what mistakes they thought they had made and how best to correct them. Marxon had even spent several minutes discussing the Cybran Node, telling them that they had done the right thing by cleansing it.

The few doubts and regrets that Rhiza had felt prior to entering the chambers were gone now and it felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. The sound of soft footsteps made both pilots turn around and they saw Evaluator Toth and a young woman alongside of her. Rhiza recognized the woman as Rhianne Burke, the one who would become the next princess of the Aeon Illuminate. Both stepped in front of the Avatar's office, but Toth turned to Rhianne and spoke softly: "I have to settle a private matter with Marxon. Please wait here."

The guards at the entrance opened the door and Toth stepped through. Rhianne quietly moved towards Rhiza and Ariel and bowed with her hands hand in front of her in the form of a chalice: "May I trouble you for a moment? I was wondering if you could describe the atmosphere on the Cybran world."

Ariel spoke quickly, relishing the occasion to spread Marxon's vision especially to the future Princess: "It was a glorious battle that will mark the history of the Aeon Illuminate. Our sisters fought with a sense of unity that defied numbers and demonstrated the power of The Way."

Rhianne shook her head slightly and tried to clarify her question: "I mean did you find any beauty while you were there, as feral as it might appear?"

Ariel frowned in consternation: "Of course not, they are abominations. What possible beauty could exist in the likes of them?"

The future princess' eyes filled with sadness at that statement. They slowly turned to Rhiza and asked the same question without Rhianne speaking a single word: had she found any form of beauty on the Cybran world? In that moment, all the guilt that Rhiza had previously felt returned tenfold. Deep down, she knew that the true cause behind Rhianne's sorrow was not that the Cybrans were abominations… but that her people had greater and greater difficulty seeing beauty in others.

Memories of the burning Cybran garden danced in front of Rhiza's eyes and her distress must have been obvious enough since even Ariel detected it. The slightly older pilot grabbed Rhiza's armed and bowed quickly: "We have further training sessions to attend. Excuse us."

Ariel stormed off while pulling Rhiza along and mentally cursed herself for losing another round to Rhianne.

**XXXXX**

Toth stepped in front of the imposing desk and nodded curtly: "Avatar-of-War Marxon, it appears that we have lost two commanders to the Cybran counter attack on Minerva."

Marxon nodded at Toth without pause: "Such is war."

"We have learned that you ordered an early retreat despite the fact that the size of the Cybran force was unknown," said Toth carefully. She then raised an eyebrow: "Is that the case?"

The Evaluator's words were spoken without malice or apparent ill intent and again the Avatar nodded: "That is true. Our objective was to prevent the UEF from gaining an advantage by successfully raiding the Cybrans. Once it was clear that the Cybran forces in the area were more than a match for the remaining UEF commanders then there was no point in staying any longer. The decision to retreat was mine to make and the increase in pressure a few minutes later fully justified my decision. Had we tried to make a stand then there are no doubts that our entire strike team would have been lost in due time."

The Evaluator nodded her accord: "There are no questions concerning the logic of that decision and many families on Seraphim Two are grateful for the measures that you took to ensure a quick retreat. What comes as a concern for a many members of the spiritual wing is the order in which the commanders were called back. The two commanders that died on Minerva were well respected and loved veterans."

Marxon's eyes flashed for a moment, but he had fully expected someone to bring that issue to him eventually: "All commanders are well respected and loved, Evaluator Toth. My choice was based purely on each pilot's performance over the past months and not simply age. A promising pilot is as deserving of life as an experienced one."

"I see," said Toth while crossing her arms: "Therefore your decision to assign these two veterans to be the last to evacuate had nothing to do with the fact that they were strong supporters of the Princess?"

Despite the softness of her voice, there was no mistaking the attack for what it was. Marxon did not rise to the bait by losing his temper: "Of course not. It would be improper for an Avatar-of-War to base life and death decisions on a pilot's loyalties. However, if you wish to suggest that some pilots' performance could be improved should Princess Miranda Burke give an inspiring war speech then I would immediately support you. We could both go see her and suggest it to her. It would be a great way to bridge any gaps between the military and spiritual wing, would you not agree?"

Toth frowned slightly and shook her head: "Another time, perhaps."

Marxon smiled politely, knowing that he had won this battle despite the unexpected uprising on Minerva: "As you wish, Evaluator Toth."

**XXXXX**

Back on Earth, Arnold leaned on the rail from the top of the sky scraper and sighed loudly: "It's the first time that I follow orders to the letter in years and because of it, we get screwed big time. It might seem weird, but I still feel some twisted pleasure that they were Riley's orders and that I'm basically immune to any form of reproach because of that. So, how did your review go?"

Desjar walked besides his friend with his arm strapped to his chest: "Pretty good, actually. They hinted at giving me a medal and perhaps even a promotion for innovative thinking on the battlefield, teamwork and surviving an assassination. I suppose that I would be a General right now had I actually stopped the Cybrans' escape, but they all acknowledged that there were limits to what I could have done in the state that I was in."

A chuckle escaped Desjar as he added: "It feels weird to get my butt kicked and being praised for it, but I guess this means that the information that they acquired from the 'plugged' Cybran must have been very useful. I'm just glad that I noticed that the assassin had the same type of skin coloration as the children when I was waiting in that corridor. It must have something to do with Minerva's sun."

Arnold nodded in agreement and motioned towards Desjar's chest: "How's the arm?"

"Not too bad," answered Desjar while flexing his fingers a bit: "The doctors told me that it was a clean slice and that most of the damage should be mended shortly. A bit of physiotherapy and I'll be ready to pilot my ACU soon enough. That's of course if they don't promote me up to the point where I would get a comfortable desk job."

Arnold snorted and shook his head: "Even if that happens, I'm not calling you 'sir' any time soon. I'd appreciate it if you tried to avoid dying from now on as well. Two close calls in one day is overdoing it, even by my standards."

The other pilot chuckled, but grew serious for a moment: "I have a favor to ask… come have supper with me and Jessy tonight. I would appreciate it a lot if you dropped by every other night whenever we're both back on Earth as well."

Arnold nearly fell over in surprise, but realized that Desjar was being quite serious: "What is that about?"

Desjar searched for an explanation, but could not find one that would make sense under the circumstances: "Just… ah what the hell, after all these years you're like the bullying big brother that I never had and family meetings are a tradition where I come from. Jessy needs a face to put behind all those stories that I told her or else she'll never believe me anyway."

A smile finally escaped Arnold who barely managed to find the breath to utter two words: "You idiot…"

"Jessy says that it's the reason that she married me, but don't take my word for it," said Desjar while motioning him forward with his good hand: "Come on. She's a great cook, but she'll kill us if we're late for supper."

**XXXXX**

"Ah, you should have seen it, boy; the scale of that battle will give me goose bumps for weeks!" explained Bagby while making grand gestures: "It's really too bad that you could not escape from your reconnaissance mission because that was one heck of a party."

The old pilot emphasized his words by slapping the helmet wearing Cybran on the back. The stranger nodded slowly, his mask preventing anyone from seeing his face: "I'm sure there will be other opportunities."

"Damn straight and… hey Kazuo!" greeted Bagby the moment that the Jade Node pilot stepped into the bar. The old rushed over to him and spread out both arms warmly: "The most unlikely man of the hour to ever set foot in my bar! Come here boy and sit next to me. You're still alive even after Redblog had a word with you? Your legend is growing my boy, it really is!"

Kazuo nodded weakly and tried to smile as he made his way through the thick crowd: "No more surprises please? I'm so drained right now that I don't think that I could take another one. I'm not sure how you do it."

The old SCU pilot offered Kazuo a bottle of Minerva's swamp and crept closer as if he was going to tell him a secret: "I'll tell you how I do it… and I've never told anyone before…"

Kazuo found himself leaning forward despite himself: "What is it?"

Bagby looked at him straight in the eyes for a few seconds before finally saying: "I'm Brackman's clone…"

Kazuo's eyes widened in disbelief and Bagby let the words hang for a few moments while keeping a straight face. The old man then burst out in laughter and slapped Kazuo on the back and so did everyone else in the room: "I can't believe that you bought that! You're priceless boy, simply priceless! I'm ugly, but I'm not that ugly. Isn't that right, bucket head?"

The helmet wearing stranger hesitated a moment before simply answering: "Stranger things have happened."

Doctor Brackman smiled secretly as he watched the scene in Bagby's bar from the comfort of his laboratory. Of course he was the only one who could enjoy the irony of Bagby's last prank since no one – not even QAI – was aware of his greatest secret. In any case, it was not as if he had programmed the artificial intelligence with a sense of humor anyway.

The electronic eye flashed on the nearby screen as it spoke: "All Cybran nodes that were on the same continent as the Sunam Node have been moved as per your instructions. However, I still fail to see the logic in allowing the survivors to set up a shrine over the wreckage. The dome which displays the holographic projection will drain resources at best and pose a security risk at worst. Such wastes should no longer be indulged, especially considering the repercussions of the last battle."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Do tell me, QAI, do tell."

"The UEF will now dispose of undisputable evidence that our numbers have grown," answered QAI without a hint of hesitation: "I estimate that my earlier predictions concerning the possibility of an attack on Earth in a few years had their success ratio lowered by fifty percent."

A series of equations appeared on the screen to support QAI's claim, detailing the estimated UEF responses. Doctor Brackman looked at them for a moment before dismissing them with a wave of his hands: "You can erase those calculations, QAI. They are flawed."

"Please clarify," said the artificial intelligence.

The Doctor smiled, knowing that this was the specific difference between addressing a human and a machine: "If the UEF was controlled by computers then you would be correct. However, you should know that some lies can become so big that sometimes they take a life of their own. Many clever individuals within the UEF most likely deduced that our numbers had increased decades ago, but few would listen to them because of the massive changes that this would imply. As for the Aeon Illuminate… I think they already knew, oh yes. Let's just stay under the radar for a few months until things calm down."

QAI stayed silent, unable to quantify the implications of a large scale lie. Doctor Brackman raised his head suddenly and asked a question of his own: "Speaking of which, have you completed the request from the survivors from the Sunam Node?"

"That task was completed successfully," answered QAI. The digital twirled once as it added: "And again, I fail see the logic in using my resources in such a fashion."

There was a note of annoyance in QAI's tone and Brackman shook his head helplessly: "Perhaps one day you will understand what it means to have a Cybran heart. It is not a matter of implants or biological components after all so you might figure it out one day."

**XXXXX**

Riley made sure that he had the attention of every other board member before speaking. A few years ago, he had only been a member of the small cadre of twenty people, but now he was both the President and the Chairman of the assembly. In short, he held true power: "The attack on Minerva will be publicized as a success to the media. I want news reporters everywhere glorifying our heroic efforts and I want the images of our troops fighting off the Aeon forces to circulate for the next week. I want the world to know that we held our own against them."

"Forgive me, mister President," interrupted one of the other members carefully: "But didn't we lose the prisoners and get forced off Minerva by the Cybrans? We lost four commanders in the process and the data in the computer terminals left at FortLytton suggest that we only downloaded some kind of exotic simulation. It seems to me that we might have underestimated the Cybrans all along."

The President waved dismissively towards the one that had spoken: "And that is where you are wrong. We have known all along that Cybrans had an efficient communications system and what we have witnessed is not some increased presence, but rather a feat of logistics. The proof is that they used the illusion of having large numbers to bluff our commanders at FortLytton into thinking that they had a similar army there. It was quite ingenious of them, but I want all of our commanders to understand this. Am I clear?"

Everyone around the table nodded and Riley kept speaking: "As for the data, the fact remains that it is a simulation of an extreme complexity. If we study it further then we might be able to reverse engineer the principles behind it to expand our own systems. Researching it might even benefit project Black Sun in the end. As always, no word concerning project Black Sun can leave this room, but I want the media to understand the incredible benefits from our operation despite some minor setbacks."

Again, everyone around the table nodded since none of them could find the courage to contradict him. Riley smiled approvingly and turned towards the officer that represented their black ops department: "The last report that we obtained from our team at FortLytton suggested that Samuel 'DV' Richards was invaluable in hacking the Cybran prisoner. I want him trained and integrated in one of your teams as soon as possible."

"That will be a problem, sir," said the officer. Riley had not expected the interruption or the objection and he raised an eyebrow. The officer cleared his throat before speaking: "He disappeared."

"Please define 'disappear' for me," ordered Riley, his gaze darkening as he did so.

"He was escorted back to the apartment that we had secured for him after the mission," explained the black ops officer carefully: "The subject had no access to either a computer or to the quantum network as a precaution. However, an hour later a package was delivered to him. We do not know what it contained, but it appears that it held fake IDs, credits, passports, everything. The man went out for a walk and then disappeared off the grid after an unknown problem caused the local security network to reboot. We cannot trace him and we have no clue as to who sent the box or how it was done in such a short amount of time."

An awkward silence followed and the President tapped his fingers together a few times before finally saying: "I'll want your successor to find him…"

**XXXXX**

Simon Prog, alias DV, walked up the stone stairs and gazed at the small house that rested on the hill. It was near a secluded town that had only a few thousand inhabitants and was as disconnected from the quantum network as one could ever hope to be. DV breathed deeply and could already picture the swing that he would install near the nearby oak tree.

The hacker had followed the instructions precisely and without hesitation. There had been no time to identify who had sent him the package or the reason for it. He had known that the sender could be trusted simply by the one sentence that had been written inside the box: for Amber.


	5. Book 5: Supreme Commanders

**Supreme Commanders **

Created by Philippe Painchaud (Dotswarlock)

Based upon the game "Supreme Commander"

-.-.-.-

**Chapter 1 **

**The Very Beginning **

Year 2934…

"Forgive me Elder Ryukin, but may I have a moment of your time?" came the humble request: "My mind is in turmoil and I fear to stray from the path… I fear that I am no longer following The Way."

The voice was shy but clear and the elder opened his eyes to look at his young pupil: "And what troubles your heart, young one?"

Ryukin took a moment to contemplate his question while his pupil searched for the right words: was it strange to think of someone who had lived several lifetimes as young? The pupil finally nodded one last time before speaking: "My sins are great; in my haste for knowledge, I contemplate asking about our past."

The Elder's eyes widened considerably and his charge lowered his head in guilt. Ryukin allowed a few minutes to pass before speaking again: "The past does not exist nor will it exist ever again. The sum of the experiences that you live through in the moment is the foundation of knowledge, but once knowledge is attained then the past is no longer a factor in the choices of the future… but I see that my words have difficulty reaching you. Speak your mind so that it may be cleansed."

"I believe in The Way, in the harmony that it brings and in the part that we play in it," said the pupil while folding his hands in front of him: "I believe in it, but my heart still yearns for the warrior's dance and while I can temper its urges, I cannot quell the question that burns in my mind. The paradox is always on the edge of my consciousness as if to taunt me."

The distress in Ryukin's student was obvious and the Elder motioned for him to continue. The young one took a deep breath before speaking: "I see the beauty in the warrior's dance practiced by some of the Elders, but I wonder why it exists. None of our kin would ever wish to harm another since there is no future in such an act or even a reason for it."

The tension rose to new peaks as the sin was finally brought to light: "Why was it created?"

The words were spoken, a blasphemy that could shake an entire society to its very core; a question about the past. To even speak in the past tense concerning something that had happened recently was considered rude. To speak of events long gone was a grave insult. To wonder about origins was a near unthinkable taboo. If such a thought pattern was ever allowed to spread then the consequences could be unimaginable.

"You must temper your heart and your mind young one," admonished the Elder with a nod: "Only by doing such will you follow The Way and help our kin through the next stage of its development. To do any less is to invite disaster, that much is known to all. Forget those questions or better yet… find new ones."

A light flashed across the mist filled skies and caught both of their attention. The elder smiled at the display, taking it as a sign: "Study those rare lights; gaze through and embrace them. See if it is part of our divine plan and if it should play a role in the next step of our ascension. Commit to it fully… and forget those troublesome questions."

There was no room for further debate; only compliance. Seth-Iavow bowed to his Elder for such was The Way of the Seraphim.

Back in normal space, the two dimensional representation of Doctor Gustav Brackman appeared on a nearby screen and smiled in triumph as the artificial intelligence came online. The pulsating eye twirled a few times on the screen before speaking: "QAI online."

**XXXXX**

Seth-Iavow's doubts were still present, but he chose to trust in Ryukin's wisdom and undertook his task with zeal. The phenomenon was very rare and even the most diligent Seraph could miss an occurrence if he was absent minded. He therefore petitioned for the right to assemble a complex series of sensors and he was given permission to do so. One Elder did offer him a suggestion, however: "If your commitment is absolute then you should consider dedicating a lifetime observing the phenomenon with your soul. The answers might not come to you, but another form of wisdom could be uncovered."

The words were sound and Seth-Iavow had accepted the suggestion since there was absolutely no reason not to. This was the quantum realm after all and the very notion of time had lost part of its meaning. As he understood it, the difference between the quantum realm and the heavy realm was a matter of energy. For lack of a better explanation, the mind had a form of energy around it that was barely perceptible in the heavy realm, but was greatly enhanced in the quantum realm. A moderate amount of willpower was all that it took to keep a body fit and stop the degradation process inhering to a living organism. In effect, the Seraphim were immortal for as long as they wished to be.

The meaning behind such a phenomenon was unknown: was it the indication of a soul, a mark of their divine ancestry or a sign that they were in paradise? None knew for certain, but each was free to believe in what they wanted whether the explanation was scientific or spiritual. Every Seraph believed in the same vision however: all living creatures were meant to evolve and the possibility that there was a place beyond the quantum realm existed. It was therefore their duty to grow, to learn and to evolve towards the next stage of life.

The concept of dedicating a lifetime to a task was not something new and if the Seraphim had managed to do it in the heavy realm where they had not been immortal then there was no reason for Seth-Iavow to avoid it here. Once the sensors were operational, he therefore dedicated not one but two lifetimes to observing the occasional lights in the skies while only using his senses.

His heart found no answers, but his mind observed what his instruments had recorded during that period: the phenomenon was increasing in frequency. A scientific study showed that a massive quantum distortion had spread through their space. The greatest manifestation was of course the heart; the very entry point through which the Seraphim had crossed into the quantum realm ages ago. While the distortions in that location were still the strongest, it was apparent that they were not the source of the spread. In fact the heart had grown calmer and at its current rate it would disappear in several hundred lifetimes.

This puzzled Seth-Iavow greatly and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, he actually believed that this was a critical clue towards the evolution of his race. He identified three elements to the quantum distortion. The first was what he referred to as the web, a barely detectable quantum field that took ages to spread. There was a pattern to it and for the most part it remained constant. There were also hints of an incredible complexity in its composition, but not even the best sensor could distinguish the relevant fluctuations from the background noise.

The other components were the bursts which were visible to the naked eye. These bursts had increased in frequency of late and traveled from one section of the web to the other. They were the easiest to analyze, but also the one with the shortest lifespan. Although the distinctions were small, bursts would exist for a period of time and travel along the web on many occasions. Eventually a specific signature would disappear entirely and never appear again.

It was because of these limitations that Seth-Iavow dedicated an entire lifetime towards developing the instruments to monitor the final element which he had dubbed the phantom. This entity traveled constantly along the web and was the one stable element in all of his research. An analysis of it could potentially reveal the keys to understand the entire phenomenon.

When Seth-Iavow's preparations were complete, he held a finger over his console and stood in anticipation of the discovery. The newly enhanced sensors would track the phantom, analyze its interactions and reveal its purpose. The Seraphim prayed for a moment before pushing the button and smiled as data appeared on his screen. The process lasted a few seconds before stopping due to a critical failure: the sensors had lost the signal.

Seth-Iavow scanned the phenomenon quickly and found traces of the phantom again and his eyes widened. The only constant that he had taken a lifetime to track had changed and evolved, adapting in a way so that his sensors were no longer up to the task. This was Seth-Iavow's first attempt at a deep analysis and at that exact time, the phantom had changed. So what did it mean? 

Back in the real world, a screen lit up and the pulsating image of QAI appeared: "Quantum scan detected. Analysis indicates a ninety-nine percent probability that the scan was of Aeon origin. Adaptations are complete and there are no indications that my databases have been compromised."

A hole in the ceiling opened, spewing forth a column of steam in the middle of the room. A nearby projector came online and projected the image of Doctor Brackman on that column, giving the impression that he was really there: "An interesting development, oh yes. It appears that I might have underestimated the capacity of the Aeon Illuminate to analyze and use Seraphim technology. We should not take any chances. Send instructions to evacuate and relocate all nodes just in case. If the Aeon hope to cleanse us again then they will find that we are not so easily tracked. We cannot afford another incident like Node Thirty-Three, oh no."

**XXXXX**

It took Seth-Iavow half of a lifetime to complete a new set of sensors to analyze the phantom and he was met again with the same result. On one hand, he was disappointed that he had not resolved the mystery but on the other, he was elated. The adaptation was done too quickly and too spontaneously to be merely coincidence. Adaptation was a sign of intelligence and intelligence was a sign of life! There was the probability that he had uncovered the next stage of evolution; a species that was closer to becoming gods than they were.

Seth-Iavow's third attempt was to bring online three different set of sensors at the same time and these gave him a few seconds of data before the phantom changed again. The results were interesting, but not enough for an analysis. His fourth attempt was the most successful, hiding his scans by disguising them with the same modulation as the previous phantom signal. That attempt gave him a full two minutes of scanning and enough data to occupy him for another lifetime. It was only through a lucky break that he finally found his proof in the data stream: an image of a sentient being. It had eyes, a mouth and even a nose! The details of the image were too abundant to be ignored or to be a coincidence and he called a meeting of all available Seraphim: he had found gods!

Seth-Iavow went to the council hall and waited patiently for it to be completely filled before speaking: "My work now bears fruit in the form of sentient life. I present to all of you what might be the next step of evolution; perhaps even gods."

A press of a button brought the screen behind Seth-Iavow online and the image that he had decoded appeared behind him. For an instant, the sense of elation that Seth-Iavow felt passed through the rows of younger Seraphim who had been born in the quantum realm just like him. That sense was immediately buried by something that Seth-Iavow had never experienced before: a cry of outrage from the Elders. 

How could an image cause such distress? How could any form of knowledge be received as something other than a blessing? Elders shouted across the room and it was Ryukin who finally stood up and spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear: "This meeting is adjourned. Seth-Iavow… come with me."

**XXXXX**

"It is not your fault," said Ryukin, his voice tinged with sadness. The Elder's words barely registered in Seth-Iavow consciousness. How could he have harmed so many of his kin with a single image? How was such a thing even possible? Ryukin nodded, his eyes tired as he sat down next to Seth-Iavow: "Sometimes, old wounds bleed like new ones."

Seth-Iavow looked up with his eyes pleading and his heart broken: "Please Elder… tell me if I am no longer on the path."

"The sin is not yours to bear," said the Elder with a cringe: "It is ours."

The statement shocked Seth-Iavow to his very core and his surprise was complete when the Elder did the unthinkable: "There was once a time when speaking of the past was not a sin. There was a time when we did not fear it so. I see your heart suffering and it would break mine should you fall now. I will tell you what you wish to know: the image is that of a species known as human."

They knew, all of the elders knew! The concept of hidden knowledge had never even occurred to Seth-Iavow and yet the proof was right in front of him. How could such a thing be possible?

"We are a species driven by the present moment and ever looking to the future," said Ryukin his gaze distant: "The past is of no use to anyone and once the experience has been acquired and shared then events are of no importance. That much you know and as long we hold true to those ideals then we follow The Way. We all wish for harmony, happiness, fulfillment, evolution and as long as those goals remain true then we share a common future and therefore a common purpose. Humans are creatures which have their hearts buried in the past."

Seth-Iavow shook his head slowly: "I do not understand."

"Neither did we," admitted the Elder sadly. Ryukin gave Seth-Iavow a few moments to recover from the shock before speaking again: "When we discovered humans, we were overjoyed. Their society was primitive and used the most rudimentary of tools, but there was no doubt that they were sentient. We believed that studying them would unlock the necessary concepts for us to evolve a step further. It was the greatest mistake that we have ever made." 

"Humans were a primitive people without the technology to survive in harmony with their environment," said Ryukin with a frown: "They killed inferior species for their meat, their fur and their bones. Our first observers were horrified at the prospect and some suggested that we should help them along the path so that they might learn The Way. In the end, it was decided that interfering with one's evolution was a sin and could potentially harm our own growth. We therefore stayed and watched."

"Their progress was nearly miraculous and the drive behind human will is frightening to behold," said the Elder, his voice filled with a mix of awe and horror: "Their tools shifted and their technology evolved constantly, progressing as quickly as their planet's rotation around their sun. They did in a short amount of time what took our ancestors lifetimes to develop. Their speed was frightening to behold as were the concepts that they accepted: pollution, destruction, war…"

Seth-Iavow frowned in consternation for he simply did not understand the word: "War?"

The Elder nodded in understanding, having expected no less. He folded his hands as he explained: "This word means to willingly participate in conflicts resulting in the death of others of your kin over a period of time. It is only achieved through resignation and by accepting that two futures are so different that only one can be allowed to exist."

The very thought was so hard to conceive that Seth-Iavow found it hard to believe: "How many could die in these… wars?"

"Hundreds, thousands and sometimes even more," said Ryukin with a resigned sigh: "Humans use incomplete forms of reasoning to justify these wars and they introduced many other concepts that we could not understand: greed, jealousy, vengeance… Many lifetimes ago, our last observers saw them launch two weapons of mass destruction that killed over a hundred thousand humans and left the land barren, destroyed and poisoned. On that day, we gave up on these creatures, labeling the whole species as an evil that would destroy itself. We returned to our home and never sought them out again."

The Elder took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. His student blinked a few times in confusion and then spoke: "I understand the horror that humans are, but I do not understand why such knowledge needs to be hidden from us. It is not as if their sins can contaminate us."

Ryukin shook his head and looked down with mournful eyes: "We never sought out humans after we abandoned them, but their teachings had already left us scarred. The sins of humans tainted us and several lifetimes later, the Seraphim would do the inconceivable: we went to war."

**XXXXX**

"I cannot accept this," protested Seth-Iavow while jumping to his feet: "It is inconceivable! No Seraph can harm another!" 

Seth-Iavow was so flustered that he reverted back to the present tense and paced the room back and forth. The Elder nodded in sympathy: "It is the truth…"

The words halted the younger Seraph who hesitated a long moment before speaking: "How?"

"The teachings of the humans were never accepted, but still circulated amongst our people if but to ensure that our ascension would never be tainted in such a manner," said the Elder, his eyes drifting left and right as he recalled those terrible days: "Life returned to normal until the day that we discovered the existence of the quantum realm. It took several lifetimes to analyze it and find a way to open a gate, but eventually we perfected our knowledge. This was the next evolutionary step and we were poised to cross it when a significant portion of our people asked the one question that would break us: what if it was the wrong path?"

"The energy required to tear the fabric of space from the heavy realm for an extended period of time is nearly unconceivable, but the feat is literally impossible to accomplish from the quantum realm," said the Elder: "If we crossed into it then there would be no turning back and some of us feared that it was the wrong path. We were faced with a dilemma: two paths… two incompatible futures. Evolution is the duty of all living organisms and failing to do so is to rot and waste away. Studies had revealed the properties of the quantum realm to extend life and some thought that to stay behind was to refuse to evolve while others thought that to go in such a realm was to ascend to a state without evolution."

"We are not sure how it happened, but it did," said Ryukin while looking away: "We went to war over who would decide the proper path to take. In less than a lifetime, we sunk to the same level as humans; ravaging dozens of worlds, killing our kind and destroying harmony. In a sense, I would say that we were worse than humans for we were so disgusted with our actions that we took every measure to ensure that the war would be final. In the end, our civilization was in ruins and neither side could achieve victory. It was at that time that we forged a truce… a compatible future for all."

Ryukin turned back to his pupil once more: "Those that wished to cross into the quantum realm would do so and those that stayed would confine themselves to a single world. They would become guardians, protecting the technology that would be required to free their kin should the quantum realm be an evolutionary dead end. Should it be proven otherwise then those that stayed behind would agree to fade into non-existence, allowing other species across the galaxy to evolve and potentially find their way to the next stage of evolution."

The Elder closed his eyes in resignation: "That is why I have steered you away from The Way of the warrior and why I must now ask you to drop your work. Forget humans and forget their teachings for they bring nothing but misery and death." 

The request was sensible given the circumstances, but Seth-Iavow felt his heart break as he shook his head: "I… cannot…"

Ryukin's eyes widened in shock as he looked at his young pupil: "Have you learned nothing from what I have told you?"

"I have and rest assured that I will never allow the past to cloud my judgment or dictate my actions; such is not The Way," said Seth-Iavow as reassuringly as he could: "But humans have not fallen into extinction and if my observations are correct then they are spreading through the heavy realm by using quantum technology. If my fears hold true then their future could one day collide with ours and we should be ready for that day. We cannot allow the path to be torn from under us by evil."

A look of incredible sadness washed over Ryukin's features and the Elder could not find the words to express his grief. His student stood determined when he spoke again: "We will be ready to face the future; I will make sure of it."

**XXXXX**

Year 3678…

The holographic image of Doctor Brackman stood in the middle of the room and gazed at the multiple screens in silence. Each twirled through different sets of data from research projects, ACU deployments and the status of different nodes. The doctor suddenly raised his head towards the upper screen where QAI's pulsating eye waited patiently: "QAI, when was the last time that 'they' attempted to breach your security?"

The artificial intelligence responded immediately with the same cold voice that it always used: "The last recorded attempt happened seventy years, five months and seven days ago."

Doctor Brackman nodded slowly and gave it some further thought. Neither he nor QAI had figured out the source behind the infrequent attacks and attempts to spy on the UEF and Aeon Illuminate had not revealed any new information concerning that matter. The possibility remained that it could be a secret organization on either side, but somehow the pattern of making an attempt every few decades simply did not seem quite… human. People were eager creatures after all and most liked to see their life long work completed before the end of their time. Such desires often led to rash actions, but these hacking attempts had been constant, patient and relentless.

Of course by such standards it could be argued that Brackman was not really human anymore either, but the Doctor made constant efforts to stay in touch with his humanity. Now was not the time for a philosophical debate, however, and the Doctor pushed these thoughts away in order to focus on the present: "Let us make some preemptive changes on your matrix just in case. Perhaps if we alter your primary data loop at regular intervals then we will throw 'them' off your tracks. Begin changes now." 

Seth-Iavow smiled back in the quantum realm, happy that their efforts had finally given results. It had taken several attempts through many lifetimes, but they had finally managed to pierce the barriers of what they now knew to be an artificial intelligence and they had been monitoring it for a long time now. He was no longer working alone and the simple news that humans still existed and that their future could collide with the Seraphim's had prompted many to join his cause.

It had taken dozens of attempts, but their research had revealed that the artificial intelligence called QAI worked on quantum based technology which resembled Seraphim technology. That simple fact had allowed them to devise a program that emulated it in every way. Figuratively speaking, it was as if they had planted a spy in the machine's mind which retransmitted all relevant data without affecting it. With enough time, the Seraphim would know everything concerning humans including their philosophy behind the monstrous weapons of wars called ACUs.

"Seth-Iavow, I have urgent news for you concerning Elder Ryukin," came the sudden interruption. The voice startled Seth-Iavow out of his contemplation and he turned around to gaze at the younger Seraph: "Please speak."

"The Elder Ryukin is… dead," said the Seraph while bowing his head.

Every Seraph in the room stopped what they were doing and gazed at the messenger. They all understood the full meaning of the proclamation: without any willpower left, the Elder had allowed himself to die. The possibility was almost unthinkable for those Seraphim that had been born in the quantum realm, yet there it was.

What could have prompted such shattering of the mind? Was it the news that the exiles had been killed, that a human faction had distorted The Way so that it was used as a weapon or that the Seraphim's inaction had allowed a galactic war to last for several lifetimes? Seth-Iavow never once considered the possibility that seeing so many Seraphim prepare for war had broken the Elder's heart.

"This is a lesson… a lesson to all of us," said Seth-Iavow while turning towards the others: "Human corruption knows no bounds and can taint the heart of the mightiest of us even through space and time. That is the reason why we must prepare, why we must be ready for the day when our futures will meet. Should that day come then we will not allow evil to spread to the quantum realm. This place is the paradise of creation and could very well be part of the domain of the gods themselves."

Seth-Iavow took the time to look at all of those gathered near him: "It may even be up to us to rectify the gods' mistakes or become gods ourselves. Harmony should not allow the creation of such evil species nor tolerate their existence. If war ever comes at our doorstep then it will be up to us to restore balance and make room for other species to evolve. The future should never be compromised to make room for the mistakes of the past." 

Seth-Iavow took a moment longer to look at all of those gathered in front of him: "Prepare…"

**XXXXX**

Year 3844, August 2nd…

The Cybran looked strangely peaceful; perhaps even serene. His white hair had thinned over the years and revealed some of the scars that he had earned through a lifetime of brawling. Keith stood near the body silently, unwilling to break the moment of perfect silence.

The commando looked at Dostya who was standing to his right and then back at the legend that rested before them: "Here lies Bagby, the greatest SCU pilot that the Cybran Nation has ever known. He was a mentor, a friend… and a pain in the rear. We all loved him deeply and it is only a shame that he died in his sleep at the venerable age of seventy years."

Keith shook his head and made a show out of sniffling loudly before looking at Dostya: "Think it would have made sense to say that at his funeral?"

Bagby suddenly opened his mouth and snored so loudly that Dostya found it miraculous that the old pilot did not wake up in the process. She looked at Keith briefly before stepping forward: "I think that's a no. Come on Bagby, wake up!"

She poked him repeatedly, but the old pilot merely rolled away and grunted in his sleep: "Just five more minutes…"

Dostya rolled her eyes, took the water bottle form her belt and quickly dumped the content over Bagby's face. The old pilot shook himself awake and roared while trying to shield his head: "A damn it, D! I heard of wet dreams, but this is a bit much! What's so important that it couldn't wait five more minutes, huh?"

Dostya threw the empty water bottle away and merely shrugged: "It's time to end the Infinite War."

The proclamation surprised the old pilot for a few seconds, but he recovered quickly, a stupid grin appearing on his face while he chuckled in amusement: "About time! What took you kids so long?" 

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 2 **

**No More Hiding **

Dostya looked from the holographic projection of Doctor Brackman to the seven pilots that were displayed on the screen in front of them. They were all veterans and considered the best that Cybran Nation had to offer. Their skills were only matched by their determination to do everything in their power to win. Dostya's gaze crossed Redfog's for a moment and she immediately recognized that the years had not dulled his fury. The leader of the Assumpta Node had waited his entire life for this day and he seemed almost… eager.

Doctor Brackman looked out of place in the gathering, a holographic representation of a man that looked more like a friendly grandfather than the leader of the Cybran Nation. Nevertheless, not a single symbiont in the room doubted the willpower that had allowed the Doctor to live for over a thousand years. Everyone listened as Brackman spoke: "As you all know, the UEF is losing the Infinite War and the data at our disposition suggests that they will not survive much longer. We are running out of time…"

The Doctor let the words hang in the air and looked for signs of hesitation in the pilots' eyes, but found none. He then nodded towards Dostya who continued with the briefing: "It's time for the Cybran Nation to stop hiding. We have spent the past few years training as many pilots as we could as well as learning to fight together. Each of you is now a Tip of the Spear; pilots who have the best odds of winning most encounters and opening the way for additional reinforcements."

The screen behind Dostya lit up and displayed a map of the quantum network: "We are pursuing our efforts to complete and broadcast the quantum virus, but the odds are not in our favor. As such, you will all be tasked with various missions that will share one global objective: to clear a path all the way to Earth. There is no doubt that the Aeon will have to take Earth in order to destroy the UEF and if the Virus cannot be completed in time then having access to it might be the only way to play our hand. Hiding is simply no longer an option."

One pilot raised an eyebrow: "The original plan involved eight pilots to form the Tip of the Spear yet you speak as if you are not amongst us, Ivanna Dostya."

Dostya nodded: "That is correct; I will not be part of the Tip of the Spear. I will stay behind, monitor the situation and respond to any UEF or Aeon counter attacks in Cybran territory. The other pilot will be one that has been handpicked by Doctor Brackman himself."

Some of the pilots shifted uneasily and Doctor Brackman spoke before any of them could protest: "The boy has no name or rather no official one. I have overseen his training from the day that he was born and he has tremendous potential. In the past few years, he has been traveling from one node to the other; assisting in a research, military or social 

capacity. His existence has been a closely kept secret that I have not revealed to anyone up until now."

The same pilot that had raised his hand spoke again: "With all due respect, Doctor Brackman, this operation has no room for error. Can we really afford to play a wild card at this stage? Putting him as a Tip of the Spear means that we would have to entrust our lives to him."

To everyone's surprise, it was not Brackman who answered, but Redfog: "Send him on a mission with Dostya by his side. If she vouches for him afterwards then I will trust him… as far as I trust any of you."

There was no doubt by the assassin's tone that he did not actually trust any of them beyond the fact that they would fight the Aeon and the UEF. A few other pilots grimaced, but all of them nodded. Each had his or her own sense of priorities, but none of them would have climbed to the top by ignoring a practical approach. Doctor Brackman nodded and motioned for QAI to forward them their first list of objectives: "Good luck to all of you."

The pilots' faces disappeared and were instead replaced by tactical screens. Doctor Brackman's looked at them all, counting no less than three hundred ACUs and two hundred SCUs. This would be the greatest Cybran offensive since the beginning of the Infinite War and only five percent of their military would remain behind to defend. Both UEF and Aeon Illuminate had more troops as their disposal, but each faction suffered from different constraints.

The United Earth Federation had taken the heaviest tolls over the past two decades, suffering high military and civilian losses at the Aeon Illuminate's hands. Their numbers of commanders on the field had dropped to roughly the same as the Aeon and their lines were drawn too thin; trying to hold on to systems that had long ago lost any strategic value.

The Aeon Illuminate on the other hand had remained strong under the ruthless leadership of a new Avatar-of-War. Their practice of cleansing entire planets and then vacating it had left no weaknesses for their enemies to exploit and this allowed them to send a vast amount of commanders while keeping a smaller force to defend their home colonies. A few intercepted communications hinted at a growing internal conflict, but there was no telling whether such feelings would affect the Aeon military before it was too late.

The Cybrans on the other hand had played in the shadows, never exposing more than sixty pilots at any given time in order to fool the other factions into believing that they were not a threat. They had been forced to remain one step ahead by constantly moving Cybran Nodes before they were under attack. Overall, the strategy had worked and had forced the other two factions to focus their main attacks against each other. Hopefully the element of surprise would remain on the Cybran side long enough to reach Earth. 

The Doctor was so focused on the data in front of him that he did not notice the concerned look on Dostya's face. It was unlike him to keep secrets from her and Dostya wondered what was so special about that pilot that he would not trust anyone with. She turned around and looked at the brain that was floating in a nearby tank. What would it be like to live for so long - through so many hardships - and know that all that you've worked for could be destroyed in the next few weeks? Dostya's concern grew and she turned a sympathetic gaze back towards the Doctor's hologram: "You spent too much time in here alone, Doctor."

The hologram turned around and Dostya immediately saw the determination in its eyes. This was not the gaze of someone who was afraid, but rather of a man who believed in his children: "I must never forget why we are fighting."

The door opened before the Doctor could say anything more and a Cybran pilot stepped through. Brackman turned around while smiling: "Oh yes, thank you for coming my boy. The situation is dire, oh yes. The UEF is now losing the Infinite War. QAI?"

The artificial intelligence's digital eye twirled a few times as it spoke: "Projections indicate that the UEF will not survive the next major Aeon assault. The UEF will fall within forty-two days."

Dostya prepared the ACU pod as QAI spoke, keeping watch over the new commander from the corner of her eye. She remembered seeing that helmet before, but she could not remember fighting alongside him or monitoring any of his battles. She decided then that she would not give the commander any preferential treatment and that now was the perfect time to test his determination. She completed the final preparations and spoke in a commanding tone: "The Aeon consider us abominations. If the UEF lose, the Aeon will turn on us and kill every symbiont in the galaxy."

The Doctor's hologram stepped close to the pod and spoke gently: "We have survived the past thousand years by hiding, oh yes. Today that changes. Strategy my boy, strategy must be employed. You are now the Tip of our Spear. You will free our enslaved brothers and sisters from the UEF."

It looked as if the Doctor would say something more, but QAI interrupted him: "The commander is due to load in two minutes."

The Doctor shrugged: "Forgive me, I do ramble. Be safe my boy, be safe."

Dostya pressed the button that launched the pod and then walked towards her own. Maybe when this was all over the Doctor would tell her what made that commander so important. Right now, however, there was a war to be fought.

**XXXXX**

Desjar walked on the slightly elevated path at a quick pace while trying to ignore the rows of symbionts that were busy calculating the latest projections. He had often seen the murderous glare in Cybrans eyes, but somehow the dead gaze of these symbionts unnerved him far more. The pilot finally reached the officer at the other end of the path and spoke quickly: "General Clarke, we need to talk."

"This is a bad time, Major General Desjar," answered Samantha while barely acknowledging him: "We just had four Cybran raids in the past hour and Earthcom is trying to keep up with all of them. We can't…"

Desjar cut her off by slipping alongside her and positioning himself so that he was on the other side of her console: "This is the fifth one that has fallen!"

Samantha's eyes widened at the insubordination, but she managed to maintain her cool despite it all: "If Commander Arnold followed Earthcom's orders as he was meant to then none of them would have died. His recklessness is what caused this."

Desjar leaned over her console, refusing to back down: "That's a load of crap and you know it. I've taken a look at the personnel profiles and at their battle data. Those were below average pilots that were teamed up with him. It does not take a genius to realize that the most promising recruits miraculously fall under the command of the officers with the highest influence."

"And what do you expect me to do about it?" shot back Samantha without backing an inch: "I'm not the one that's in charge of personnel assignation."

Desjar straightened and gazed right through her: "Then apply pressure… make it so that the next pilot is someone that can at least keep up with him. He's one of the most successful colonels in Earthcom's history for crying out loud. Making him responsible for the deaths of those kids is crueler than shooting a bullet through his head!"

Each second that passed lasted an eternity and when there was no answer, Desjar threw his hands up in disgust: "Fine then, I'll resign my commission on Matar. I'll go back to being a simple ACU pilot and I'll call in every favor to team up with him if I have to."

Desjar stormed off, but Samantha's voice stopped him before he took more than a few steps: "All right. I'll make sure that the next pilot to be assigned under his command will be one of the most promising recruits… you have my word."

Desjar nodded his thanks and walked out of the control room.

**XXXXX**

The room was perfectly silent save for the light steps of the Avatar-of-War. Before him stood sixty knights; the newest and possibly the last generation of Aeon pilots to join the Infinite War. Unsurprisingly, only seven pilots were male and the rest were female. Few 

men could balance the necessary discipline to both master The Way and pilot an Armored Command Unit. For a split second, Marxon wondered if the distinction was truly justified, but he discarded that thought. In a few weeks it would no longer matter: the Infinite War would end and the Aeon Illuminate would be victorious.

"Congratulations, you are now newly fledged Knights of the Aeon Illuminate," said Marxon, his voice echoing through the room: "Well done."

The Avatar-of-War waited for his words to sink in before lowering his head slightly: "While I am glad that you have successfully completed your training, I feel as though I should apologize to each of you. Had you graduated a decade ago then you would have been paired with experienced members and sent on preliminary missions to test your skills and properly complete your formation. That is a luxury that we can no longer afford for a simple reason: the Infinite War is at an end."

A barely perceptible wave of elations passed through the young recruits in front of Marxon. The Avatar raised his head again and his face became impassive once more: "This victory is made possible by the sacrifice of countless others before us. We will honor that sacrifice not only by winning… but also by making sure that as few of you fall in battle. Since there is no time to fully complete your training, I will ask each of you to do only one thing: to trust in me."

Marxon gazed in the eyes of each pilot as he spoke: "Trust in my judgment, in my experience and in my profound wish to see you all returned safely. The only way to do that is to obey without hesitation and without question. Swear fealty to me now and soon we will all celebrate the day when The Way has spread through the galaxy. From that day onward, the Aeon Illuminate will never again need to raise a weapon to save humanity."

The Avatar-of-War stepped in front of the first pilot and looked at her straight in the eyes: "Paule Luth, do you swear to follow my orders?"

The young pilot nodded vigorously: "I swear to obey you in all things, Avatar."

Marxon nodded and moved from one pilot after the other, calling upon them by their names without using a data pad. He had always made it a point to know every pilot under his command and the simple fact that he remembered them was a strong tool to secure their loyalty. He was halfway through when he stopped in front of a pilot with a peculiar history, one which had been saved and converted to The Way as a young girl: "Kathy Istan, do you swear…"

"Avatar-of-War Marxon!" came the sudden outburst. The interruption was not unexpected and Marxon barely held back a grimace as he addressed the remaining Knights: "You are all dismissed. I will speak to each of you privately once you have reached your ACUs." 

The Knights bowed their heads as one and Marxon acknowledged it before turning around to face Toth. He waited for the newly fledged Knights to leave the room before speaking: "This was a private ceremony, Evaluator Toth. Such interruptions are counterproductive."

The Evaluator's eyes narrowed as she spoke: "The Princess is in command of the Aeon military, not you. You are not allowed to ask for the personal allegiance of these Knights or have you forgotten?"

Marxon did not back down, but straightened his shoulders instead: "And you will remember, Evaluator Toth, that an Avatar-of-War is allowed to take the necessary steps to protect the lives of his commanders. These Knights will be thrown in the middle of the biggest conflict that the Infinite War has ever seen. I will not allow capable commanders to fall in battle due to a misplaced sense of loyalty or moral indecision. Without the benefit of experience, they have no other alternative but to rely on mine."

Toth winced, her eyes reflecting the sorrow that she felt while looking at the man who had once been her most promising student: "There is more to this war than survival and logistics."

There was neither pity nor compromise when Marxon replied: "Feel free to explore those concepts when the war is over."

**XXXXX**

Two minutes… he had taken his eyes off him for just two minutes.

The notion twirled again and again through Arnold's mind and he could not find the strength to discard it. He was slumped on the bench in the ACU pilots' room, refusing to look up as two ensigns went through their tasks. He did not want to see them remove the name of his latest partner from the locker's door…

There were other pilots in the room as well who watched the display. Some were obviously grieved by a sight that had become all too common while others whispered under their breath. Arnold did not want to hear them nor did he even need to. He already knew what they called him behind his back: the tombstone, the gravedigger, the guy that you would die next to if you were ever unlucky enough to be assigned with him.

The kid had been a near hopeless case right from the beginning, but Arnold had looked out for him by badgering him nonstop until most of his bad habits were gone. He had taught him how to think, how to stay alert, how to persevere and how to keep his guard up. The boy had even become a passable pilot in the past month, but this had given rise to a new fault: arrogance.

The boy had seen the Cybran base, had expected it to be lightly defended and had rushed ahead without Arnold. The veteran had stayed behind at that time, shielding his base 

because he had felt deep down that something was wrong. In the meantime, the kid had rushed ahead without permission while expecting the Cybran forces to fall back. Instead, he was met head on and killed in less than two minutes. The nuclear explosion had illuminated the skies before Arnold had even realized that the kid had disobeyed his orders…

The sound of approaching footsteps registered at the edge of Arnold's consciousness as a familiar voice spoke to the other pilots: "Hey guys, could you leave the two of us alone for a minute? I'd appreciate it."

Everyone left the room and Desjar waited until they were gone before slumping down next to Arnold: "I spoke to Clarke; she'll make sure that your next pilot is not a newbie…"

Desjar waited expectantly, but there was no reply and he sighed slowly: "Want to come home with me for supper? Jessy is making… ok so I have no idea what she's making, but I'm sure we'll survive."

Arnold barely moved as he spoke: "What's the use?"

"Well... eating her food makes those ration bars out there a lot more tasty," said Desjar with a smirk. He nudged Arnold in the ribs, but his usual banter was not enough this time. Arnold avoided his gaze and kept his head down: "What's the use to keep fighting like that? We're losing and we all know it. We thought we could turn the tide a year ago, but this…"

Desjar realized that this time, Arnold's depression was serious and that he needed to give him something to hold on to. The Major General looked around to make sure that there was no one left in the locker room before speaking: "We only need a month, maybe two. If we hold out that long then… we win the war."

The other pilot shrugged non-comically: "I heard that speech before. So what is it this time? The Fatboy version four point three or the Mavor version five?"

Desjar's voice dropped to a whisper as he leaned closer: "Black Sun…"

Arnold paused a moment, not remembering anyone using that code name before. He finally shrugged and shook his head: "Another experimental won't make that much of a difference, not with our current losses."

Again Desjar made sure that there was no one else in the room before speaking: "We only need to deploy it once and then we've won. It's a weapon capable of hitting other worlds through the quantum gate network. I'm not sure about the firepower, but from what I heard, a single shot could wipe out an entire enemy base, maybe more." 

Arnold looked up hopefully, but the vision of civilian colonies burning suddenly crushed his hopes. How many times would it have to fire before the Aeon Illuminate and the Cybran Nation gave up? He finally looked at Desjar and raised an eyebrow: "You're involved in this?"

"No, but the program has intensified enough that word about it has started circulating," said Desjar with a shrug: "I don't usually listen to rumors, but in this case, enough reliable people have heard news or been indirectly linked to one of its operations. I wouldn't tell you this if I did not believe it and I'd be thankful if you did not repeat it either."

Desjar placed a hand on Arnold's shoulder and nodded: "One month - maybe two - and this war will be over for good. Just hold on until then… I need someone like to you alongside me to face Jessy's cooking when this is over, all right?"

Arnold sighed, but nodded.

**XXXXX**

Princess Rhianne Burke stood in the pool with her eyes cast down; meditating on the news that Toth had brought her. The two of them had known all along about Marxon's plotting. The Avatar-of-War had carefully maneuvered in the past two decades, planning every move and every strike to end the Infinite War. The simple concept that he could not grasp was this: destroying Earth and everything that stood in their way would not bring them peace. If anything, it threatened to destroy The Way and all that the Aeon Illuminate stood for.

Each occasion where mercy, compassion or love was denied was one more step towards becoming what they feared the most. If the Infinite War ended this way then it would only be a matter of time before the Aeon Illuminate fractured and then The Way would be reduced to nothing more than a tool of destruction. Rhianne nodded resolutely and raised her head: "I will need a champion."

Toth bowed her head: "One will arrive, you must trust fate."

The Princess allowed her mind to wander around a simple question: who could possibly be a match for the Avatar-of-War? In all of her life, she had only met one man who could have been a match for him. No, not a man… but a creature of pure fury and hatred. Just thinking about the Cybran known as Redfog made her recall the painful slash across her shoulder and leg. All traces of the wounds were gone now, but the memory remained.

Although she regretted the lives that had been lost on that day, Rhianne did not fear the lessons that she had learned. Whether it had been intended as such or not, the experience had allowed her to grow and to learn new aspects of The Way that she had never 

imagined before. It was only after that day that she could finally see the assassin and the Avatar-of-War for what they truly were: twisted images of each other.

Rhianne climbed out of the pool and wrapped herself in a spider silk bathrobe. She decided at that precise moment that her champion would not be like either men. Instead, she would look for a pilot who was willing to learn, to explore, to grieve and to feel joy. She would look for someone who had the courage to step forward and yet still be human.

**XXXXX**

Samantha browsed through the list of personnel profile on her screen in the privacy of her office. Here, she was free to sigh loudly and allow some of the weariness that she felt to show. Her shift had ended six hours ago, but this would not be the first time that she would sleep in her office nor would it be the last. Finding the right candidate for Arnold was a pain; pure and simple.

Although Samantha could not demonstrate it publicly, she had to admit that she rather liked Arnold. At one point, she had even believed that there could have been something between them, but that moment had passed when she had chosen to follow Riley's lead. Doing the right thing for the UEF did not always mean doing the right thing on the battlefield. Arnold had turned away from her then and their friendship had crumbled to mere formalities.

In the current situation, Desjar had been right; the most promising pilots were often assigned to specific sectors where they could better develop their talents… and under the supervision of the Generals with the best connections. Arnold was one of the best pilots, but while his battle record was impressive, his file still outlined his unorthodox methods coupled with a history of insubordination. In short, he was the type of pilot that no one wanted because of the possible political repercussions and he was therefore assigned to some of the most dangerous sectors.

Samantha was about to give up her search for the right copilot when she suddenly found a promising file. The candidate's marks were impressive and his reflexes were off the charts. For a moment, Samantha wondered why he had not been immediately drafted by some high profile General, but then she saw a black mark to the file: accused of cheating at the Kilimer exam.

This specific virtual simulation was one where the pilot was placed in a no win situation: a six versus one battle. The objective of the test was to see how long a pilot could hold on before being defeated, but somehow that candidate had actually won. Details on the incident specified that the student had exploited a targeting priority bug, constantly building tactical missile launchers in a circular pattern around his base which caused the entire enemy army to circle around it. Analysis suggested that no human could have found that bug without a deep analysis of the program and that the student had therefore won by either hacking or by getting some inside information. The new pilot was even 

now scheduled to be sent on some backwater world where he would not play a major role in the war.

A smile touched Samantha's lips as she considered the possibilities. Either the pilot was simply that good and had noticed the pattern on his own, which demonstrated a deep analytic mind, or he had indeed cheated and broken protocol. Either way, he had won which demonstrated the level of unconventional thinking that he would need to keep up with Arnold. She opened a new window and typed in the name of Arnold's new copilot: Timmy 'Tim' Tural. 

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 3 **

**High Tides and Metal Sharks **

August 23rd…

"Delta team, prepare to move on their southern flank on my order," said Desjar in a hurry. His fingers flared over his console as he added: "Gamma team, I'm sending a Fatboy towards your position. Secure the waters between it and your base. Bravo team, get those interceptors moving!"

Desjar was momentarily interrupted as his screen suddenly turned red with flashing indicators. The mechanical voice quickly followed: "Nuclear launch detected."

The pilot cursed and turned his ACU around to look at his strategic missile defenses. He swore even louder when it did not activate and he quickly selected his fleet in order to move it away. Sure enough, the nuclear missile landed a minute later where the fleet had been, illuminating the sky with a fiery explosion. Desjar twisted his ACU to the side and gritted his teeth: "Not again…"

At first there was nothing on the horizon, but then small tremors shook the ground. A moment later, the outline of a twenty-five meter tall tsunami appeared and rushed towards his island. The waters swarmed over Desjar's ACU and the impact was enough to shake him all the way to his teeth. The pilot still had the presence of mind to operate the ACU, backing away and moving with the flow in order to not get carried away by it. When the waves finally receded, they left a long trail of broken trees, fishes and algae, but no significant damage had been done to his base. Mechanicals engineers responded immediately, repairing each other before performing routine maintenance on the surrounding structures and patrolling Titans.

Red dots appeared on Desjar's tactical screen and he raised an eyebrow: "Wondering if I'm still here?"

The pilot crossed his arms and waited patiently as the Mavor behind him automatically adjusted its angle. The deafening bang that followed as it fired made the tsunami pale in comparison. Two dots disappeared on the screen a moment later and the rest retreated. Desjar rubbed his ears painfully, wishing nothing more than to put a good kilometer between him and the dreadful weapon. He could not afford to leave it unprotected, however, and the scorched remains of the last three Aeon SCUs that had teleported in the hope of destroying it was all the motivation that he needed. He would simply have to endure…

"Hey lube boy, don't tell me that you're having difficulty keeping a few Aeon girl scouts away," said a familiar voice over Desjar's transmitter. Desjar could practically feel the grin as the voice added: "Now that would be embarrassing." 

Arnold's smirking face appeared on Desjar's screen and the Major General smiled in return: "I don't suppose that you're coming over here to buy their chocolate?"

Arnold nodded and it was apparent from the way that he was moving that he was going through an ACU self-diagnostic: "As a matter of fact I am. Earthcom is sending me and Tim to get some pressure off of you. We'll see if we can chop a few heads and turn the tide. What can you tell me?"

Desjar grinned while rubbing a sleepy eye. Technically since Arnold was under General Clarke's command it was against protocol to ask information from other commanders on the field. The two of them had been friends for so many years that Desjar did not mind breaking a few rules. Heck, Arnold had never once called him 'sir' despite the difference in rank.

"Ok listen up, they are sending you against an Aeon commander known as Crusader Eris," said Desjar while forwarding all of the information that he had: "She has been spearheading the forces here on Matar and we've been holding her back for the past ten days. I'm babysitting the Mavor here and using its huge area radius as a safe fall back zone and offensive center for everyone else under my command. So far we've had minimal casualties, but I think both sides are tired and this entire strategy will collapse if the Mavor falls. My defenses are holding and the only thing that the Aeons have tried in the past two days is to nuke my fleet or gate in SCUs."

Desjar stifled a yawn and reached to his side for an energy drink: "Anyway, if you could kick her off the planet then it should stop the Aeon forces long enough for the rest of us to mount a successful counter attack. I have seven pilots under my command ready to rush in as soon as you punch a hole. We're all tired, but there's enough fight left in us to make one last push."

Something caught Arnold's attention and he looked at another screen: "Yeah, you really look ugly at the moment. I guess you only managed to grab an hour of sleep here and there, huh? Well it's time for us to get going so I'll have to cut this chat a little short. Earthcom wants my undivided attention. Feel free to listen in as we fight and give those rookies of yours a few pointers while you're at it. Oh and Desjar?"

Arnold looked at his buddy for a few moments before nodding: "Thanks for getting me a good pilot. It was exactly what I needed… but don't tell him that I said so."

"Anytime and see you after the battle buddy," said Desjar with a relieved smile. He then closed the channel and chuckled, making a mental note for the three of them to go grab a beer when this was all over.

**XXXXX**

Princess Rhianne Burke looked at the faces of the six pilots on her screen from the comforts of her chamber. She had narrowed down the list to these six candidates; all 

young knights whose hearts were true. Toth had advised that an older, more experienced and well respected pilot might have been better suited, but Rhianne had chosen against it. The Aeon Illuminate had many veterans with impressive battle records, but while their martial prowess was exemplary, their hearts had suffered due to years of fighting. They had become harder and colder… the results of years spent cleansing one world after the other.

The video feed that displayed all six pilots was a one way broadcast and none of them knew that they were being observed by the Princess. The signal itself was retransmitted to her though the control center from which the Avatar-of-War was overseeing the galactic battle. The right of a Princess to choose her champion was an ancestral one and there was nothing that Marxon could do to oppose her. Yet who would be her champion? Who amongst these young hopeful Knights could one day stand against the Avatar-of-War?

The question weighed heavily on Rhianne's mind and she closed her eyes a moment in order to center herself. When she opened them again, she was no longer in the comfort of her chambers but on the mountains of Seraphim Two. She recognized the waking vision for what it was and yet she wondered at its significance. She often experienced visions, but few of them came unbidden and those that did were usually of a grave importance.

Rhianne looked around and spotted another figure with its back turned to her. She opened her mouth in order to hail him, but then a beam of light fell from the sky on the horizon. It hit the ground and a huge red hole like a gaping wound appeared. Flaming fissures spread from the impact point and moved at an alarming rate, destroying and burning everything in their path. They climbed up the mountain and Rhianne could feel an intensive wave of heat suffocating her.

Flames erupted in front of the unknown figure and the Princess reflexively shielded her eyes. For a moment, the figure's outline looked exactly like Marxon's and she wondered if the vision meant that the Avatar-of-War could not be stopped. Was there simply no hope?

She expected the heat to engulf her at any moment, but the flames suddenly died down. Rhianne lowered her arm and stood in awe as the figure turned. He was not the Avatar-of-War, but rather a man that she had never seen before. His eyes were strong but kind and reflected the years of battle that had dominated his life. There was an incredible sadness in them as well and yet a sense of peace and acceptance that she had never seen before. The stranger smiled contently as he spoke: "Princess…"

Rhianne waited, but another unexpected voice reached her: "Princess?"

She blinked and then she was back in her chambers and looking at Toth's worried face. The Princess nodded quickly: "I am fine…" 

There was no need to say anything else and she had no doubt that the aged Evaluator would understand. The question remained: what did the vision mean? Had she somehow overlooked a promising champion while looking at the personnel profiles? No, there was no way that she would have overlooked such an uncommon sense of peace surrounding a pilot or anyone in the Aeon Illuminate for that matter. If the man was not of Aeon origin then that left only…

"Toth, please forward the video signals from the UEF pilots facing our current candidates," ordered the Princess softly. The Evaluator raised an eyebrow but did not object and the first image to appear was that of a snarling man: "Now you will pay for your crimes against humanity!"

Rhianne gasped and stood up. That man was not surrounded by a sense of peace or anything even remotely resembling the stranger from her vision and yet there was no doubt that it was him. The Princess could not ignore such clear signs and pointed at the Aeon commander that was facing him: "She will be my champion… and he will be the key."

**XXXXX**

Marxon's fingers squeezed the edge of the console in front of him in frustration. Only one thought twirled again and again through his mind: Matar was still standing. His original plan had estimated that the planet would fall within a day and for the most part it had. A dozen UEF commanders had been defeated in the first hour of the attack and all of them would have been killed if not for a well-defended strategic point on the planet's equator. There a group estimated at eight UEF ACUs had fended off every attack for the past ten days.

They were positioned in a cluster of small islands and had a Mavor deployed at its center. The protection afforded by the experimental weapon had allowed them to hold their ground and the UEF had used the area to evacuate civilians and other commanders who had lost their base while staging counter offensives. Crusader Eris was a competent pilot, but even her best efforts had not allowed her to completely cleanse the planet despite multiple attempts.

There were no doubts that the situation was aggravating and yet Marxon could not fault her for her efforts. He had reviewed her battle data and whoever was in command of the UEF was surprisingly resourceful. His tactics lacked elegance, but demonstrated a high level of adaptability and some of his moves were borrowed from Cybran and even Aeon strategies. In one confrontation where Crusader Eris had attempted to move in with a massive air attack supported by Czars the UEF commander had taken manual control of the Mavor and targeted the waters underneath the Czars. The destruction of two experimentals in quick succession had thrown the entire attack into chaos and had cost the life of one Aeon pilot. 

Avoiding Matar and pushing the attack deeper into UEF territory was not an option for a simple reason: the planet was strategically positioned so that it could be used as a staging point to strike in Aeon territory. Although he doubted that the UEF had the pilots to spare, Marxon could not afford a sneak attack at the moment. A well executed strike on an Aeon core world combined with Evaluator Toth's constant opposition could be enough to halt their momentum and delay the war for another few months. Marxon would not allow that.

The Avatar-of-War looked up at the screen and studied the tactical display. He had relieved Crusader Eris a few minutes ago and sent one of the new knights to replace her. If she fell or if the battle lasted more than a day then he would take matters into his own hands. Marxon had never lost a battle and he would not allow these insects to stand in his way now.

Toth's face suddenly appeared at the edge of his screen and bowed: "Greetings Avatar-of-War. The Princess has finally chosen her champion: she wants Knight Kathy Istan to fight in her name."

The entire campaign was waiting after Matar and the Princess had suddenly selected the newly appointed Knight as her champion? Did the she want to order Istan out of the battle and in doing so delay the war? Marxon was not amused: "She is currently fighting on Matar and I will not have her break off her attack. Communications with the enemy clearly indicates that she is fighting a pilot known as Zachary Arnold. He is a barbarian, but we have extensive records on him and everything indicates that Istan could be killed if she were to attempt to gate out."

Toth shook her head quickly: "The Princess does not expect her champion to pull back. She expects her champion to win and only return once she has defeated that UEF commander."

That statement puzzled the Avatar-of-War who took a moment to consider this. If appointing the Knight to the role of Champion motivated her enough to claim victory then it would mean that Matar would fall quickly which was what he wanted. If instead she fell in battle then the Princess would have to host appropriate funerals and would not be able to appoint another champion before the end of the Infinite War which would limit her interference. The Knight was good but largely unknown to the majority of the other pilots and as such her words carried little influence. Had positions been reversed then Marxon would have assuredly selected a veteran with a solid war record in order to secure more followers. This was almost too good to be true…

"As long as she completes this mission then I have no objections," said the Avatar-of-War after a few more seconds: "You may contact her directly as is your right and we can remotely configure her ACU to produce units with the royal crest."

Toth bowed her head in gratitude and closed the channel. Marxon barely held back a smile of his own: the Princess was definitely not of a military mind. 

Toth looked back to the Princess for a final confirmation before opening a channel to the newly appointed champion: "Harmony to you, knight. I apologize for this interruption, but the Princess wishes to speak to you. It is a matter of great importance."

Rhianne smiled briefly before speaking: "Hello, Knight. We have not yet had the pleasure of a proper introduction, but I have something important to tell you…"

**XXXXX**

"Carmack, Garriott, Flinn, Koster, Walton, Weisman, Wright; look alive people!" said Desjar suddenly, forcing the pilots under his command to snap back at attention: "Either drink something or put some ice in your pants because I want you all awake and ready. Stop those other Aeon commanders from reaching either Tim or Arnold and be prepared to pounce once Eris falls. Let's do this thing and go home!"

The other pilots were tired, but each nodded fiercely. Although they had only been assigned under Desjar for a few months, the eight of them had already faced quite a few battles together and they trusted their leader.

Flinn's face appeared on Desjar's right and from the looks of it, he had emptied an entire water bottle on his head: "You really think that he can pull it off?"

Desjar grinned knowingly: "One day I'll tell you all the stunts that we pulled together. For now just watch, enjoy the show and be prepared for some fireworks! Here, you guys can listen in as well."

A flick of a switch allowed the other pilots to eavesdrop on Arnold's transmissions: "I thought they fixed the gates! Get an operation base up and running. We're gonna have to wing this one."

Flinn raised an eyebrow, but Desjar only shrugged: "The man likes to give a show!"

Desjar smiled to reassure the others, but a quick look at his screen showed that Arnold had missed his landing zone. He was trapped on a series of small islands with limited resources which were also too close to the Aeon base. Tim on the other hand benefited from a mountain range which provided some natural protection, but a number of Aeon ships separated him from Arnold. Even the most skilled pilot was limited if he could not access the necessary resources. Desjar's worries grew with each intercepted transmission:

"I've been discovered by an Aeon scout. Things are gonna get really hot around here."

"Holy… Earthcom, I've got incoming the like I've never seen before… it's a wall of units. They're on me…"

"Earthcom, they're hitting me again! I don't think I can hold them off." 

Desjar typed furiously on his console and brought up a global tactical screen: "Can any of you guys send some air reinforcements to Arnold?"

The other members of his squad all shook their heads and Flynn spoke: "Sorry sir. We've sped up our attack, but the enemy still has considerable anti-air presence in the area. The odds of getting any air units through are slim to none. We'll need at least another four minutes to thin them out."

Desjar cursed under his breath and tried to think of a way to save his buddy. Arnold was apparently fighting for his life and had difficulty making his report: "Can't, too many of them. No way to… nothing he can do… finished… Ah hell…"

The major general reached for the button in order to speak to Arnold, but he lost the signal before he could even say a word.

**XXXXX**

An oblivion cannon blast from an Aeon destroyer caught Arnold's ACU straight in the chest and sent it reeling. The pilot tried to fire an overcharged shot in response, but his screen was suddenly filling with dozens of warning messages. Arnold slammed his controls repeatedly, but the ACU would no longer obey his commands and merely rumbled in place. A large warning indicator replaced all the others on his screen and his eyes widened in disbelief: "Ah blast it, you fried my logic array. I thought that was impossible!"

An ACU was meant to transmit over a hundred thousand commands per second and the logic array was the module meant to prioritize each of them. Without it, every command from unit control to life support systems was assigned the same priority and the main computer was effectively deadlocked due to a lack of resources. The only things that were still working were the main view screen and short range transmissions. His base was being torn apart and the Aeon ACU was even now emerging from the water and heading straight for him.

Arnold gave his console another good punch, but the attempt did not change anything. Judging by the smoke that was slowly filling the cockpit, it was also obvious that the life support system was down as well. The only other piece of equipment that might still be working was the self-destruct mechanism and Arnold tore the safety cover off that piece of the console: "Trapped… you'll never take me alive!

Arnold was about to type in the necessary commands when the face of a beautiful young woman appeared on his screen: "You need not die commander, your fate lies elsewhere. You know I speak the truth."

Doubts clouded Arnold's mind and his finger stood poised over the console. Why was he hesitating? Was it the lack of oxygen, his stubbornness or perhaps even fear? She was the enemy and yet her eyes… they reminded him of someone… 

The hand stood over the console a moment longer before falling to the side: "Yes, I understand."

Arnold did not really know why he had said that and he felt his head spinning. His mind barely registered that the Aeon ACU was using its building laser to dig its way through his cockpit. A few seconds later his eyes rolled back and he collapsed just as the console in front of him disintegrated. Had he been conscious then Arnold would have seen the Aeon ACU's cockpit open and its pilot reach out for him.

**XXXXX**

Desjar's hands shook over his console and he waited a few minutes before a tactical officer from Earthcom finally confirmed his deepest fears: "We have a confirmed ACU explosion at Colonel Arnold's position. He's gone."

The world seemed to pause for that moment and Desjar simply could not accept that Arnold was gone. He did not move a muscle even as he heard the barely perceptible high-pitched noise of a gating SCU. The Aeon war machine appeared next to the Mavor and aimed its laser. Wright's panicked face appeared on Desjar's screen and shouted: "Sir!"

Desjar did not turn his ACU around, but aimed without even looking; shooting an overloaded shot that caught the Aeon SCU straight in the chest. The following explosion damaged the nearby structures and the debris battered Desjar's ACU, but he did not care: "Everyone attack!"

**XXXXX**

Marxon was surprised when the UEF ACU exploded. He had not fought the man personally, but the Aeon Illuminate had extensive files on him. Everything had pointed that he should have been victorious and yet he had fallen to the Princess' newly appointed champion. Was there something more to this young Knight and why had the UEF commander gated to an island with so few resources?

The situation was worth investigating, but Evaluator Toth's face appeared on his screen before he could look into the matter further: "The UEF commander has been defeated. The Princess requests that her champion returns immediately to Seraphim Two before being dispatched for another mission."

Marxon looked at the tactical screen to judge Matar's situation. It was likely that Arnold had been their best commander and that the other pilot that had been dispatched with him was an apprentice. The UEF often worked in pairs and if Arnold had fallen so easily then there was no justification to keep the Princess's champion there. Marxon looked at one of the seers near him and nodded: "Wake Crusader Eris and have her take over the champion's base until we can find another pilot to replace her." 

Toth bowed her head gratefully and closed the channel. A few minutes later, Marxon was in the process of looking through the list of available commanders when one of the tactical officers stood in her seat: "Avatar, look!"

Marxon looked up in annoyance and his eyes widened in surprise. Not only was Crusader Eris losing ground to a rookie UEF pilot, but it appeared that the remaining UEF forces had launched an all-out attack. A sea of red dots on the tactical map suggested that a large part of the enemy fleet was nothing more than false data sent by ships equipped with jamming devices. It was a simple but effective trick and the other Aeon commanders could not guess where the main enemy fleet was coming from. By the time that the position of the enemy was confirmed it was already too late. Fatboys were already crawling up the beaches while Atlantis type submarines emerged from the waters and provided anti-air support.

The Avatar-of-War stood unflinching when Eris' ACU exploded twenty minutes later. He waited a few seconds before looking at the officers near him: "Have our remaining forces retreat and have my personal guard ready in the next five hours. I'll take care of Matar personally."

The officer nodded, but Marxon raised a finger before she could turn away: "And I want to know who that UEF pilot was…"

**XXXXX**

Three hours later, Desjar was back on Earth and being driven home by an Ensign. He was so tired that he could barely find the strength to keep his eyes open and yet he could not will himself to sleep. His gaze drifted to the box that rested next to him… the box that containing Arnold's personal belongings.

General Clarke's words echoed in his mind just then: "The problems with our gates were not a mere malfunction… the Cybrans are responsible for them. I'll find out who's behind it and do everything in my power to stop them; you have my word on it."

She had meant what she had said, but Desjar still found little comfort in that. Even the fact that their all-out offensive on Matar had allowed them to destroy six Aeon ACUs brought him little comfort. His buddy was gone… nothing would ever change that.

"Sir, we're here," said the Ensign suddenly. Desjar looked at the man in confusion even as he pointed at the house that was waiting just outside: "You're home, sir."

The Major General nodded his thanks, took the box and walked out of the vehicle. Each step up the stairs felt like one more confirmation that Arnold was gone and for a moment, Desjar was tempted to collapse on the spot. He finally reached the door and it swung open automatically thanks to its sensors. Desjar barely had the time to take another step 

before Jessy walked into view with a bright smile on her face: "There you are, I was so worried!"

Desjar smiled weakly while trying to focus solely on Jessy, her love for him and the courage that allowed her to stay strong despite being married to an ACU pilot. Jessy quickly realized that something was wrong and stepped closer. She had seen her husband tired before, but this was something else entirely.

The woman finally saw the box under Desjar's arm and understood what it represented. She grabbed the box, placed it on the nearby table and then hugged her husband tenderly. The show of unconditional affection sapped the last of Desjar strength and he returned the hug as best as he could while a tear ran down the side of his face: "He's gone… Zach's gone…" 

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 4 **

**Never Give Up **

Arnold groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. He tried to lift his head and open his eyes, but a wave of dizziness knocked him back down again. He dimly heard someone stir next to him as a soft and gentle voice spoke: "Please relax, Zachary Arnold. You are safe now."

The ACU pilot tried to ask a question, but he was still too dizzy to do so. A hand gently caressed his forehead before covering it with a cool compress. The woman whom Arnold assumed was a nurse kept speaking as she treated him: "This should bring the fever down. Your body went through quite a shock, but you were not seriously injured."

"Did Tim pull it off?" croaked Arnold. The nurse paused in her work: "Tim?"

"The other ACU pilot that was with me," explained Arnold, the effort dragging a powerful headache with it: "Did he manage to defeat Eris or whatever her name was?"

Arnold felt two fingers press against the side of his neck as if to take his pulse: "Yes, he succeeded. The other pilots that were not far away also made a valiant push that forced the local Aeon forces to retreat. Once the battle was over, they all returned safely home."

Arnold smiled and sighed contently: "That's a good kid…"

The fingers moved away from Arnold's neck and the pilot finally allowed himself to relax. He took a deep breath and a chuckled escaped him: "Now this must have cost Desjar an arm and a leg…"

"What do you mean?" asked the gentle voice.

"A dedicated nurse, a private room away from the busy hospital corridors, clean air," said Arnold while taking a deep breath. A smile tugged at the corner of his lip as he added: "And if my nose is not playing tricks on me then I smell fresh flowers too. There's no way that my insurance policy could possibly cover all that and I would bet my next pay check that he's the one behind it. I guess that I'll have to stop calling him lube boy after this one…"

Arnold was thinking of the possible nicknames that could be used to replace the old one when the nurse spoke: "Ah, I see… but I am afraid that he was not involved in the decision to bring you here. I was the one who wanted to take care of your injuries in this villa."

A frown of consternation moved through Arnold's features. A nurse who owned a whole villa and wanted to treat him? Something was simply not right here and he struggled to open his eyes. It took him several seconds to finally accomplish that goal and even then 

the image was blurry and he had to blink several times. His vision finally focused on the 'nurse' and the first thing that Arnold noticed was her clothes… they were Aeon robes.

Arnold scrambled away from her and fell off the other side of the bed: "Jeez! Who are you and where the hell am I?"

The woman blushed and looked away from him. Arnold looked down and realized why. He scrambled forward, caught some of the bed sheets and pulled them over his legs: "And where the hell are my clothes?"

"I am Princess Rhianne Burke," answered the woman while still carefully averting her gaze: "You are in my private retreat on Seraphim Two and your clothes are on the chair to your right. I took the liberty of ordering a second set of clothes which are on the table right there. Feel free to use the set that will make you the most comfortable."

Rhianne's voice was soothing, but Arnold still looked around like a panicked animal, searching for anything that could be used as a weapon. The Princess noticed this and nodded calmly: "I realize that this situation might be unsettling. Please take all the time that you need to center yourself and get dressed. I will be waiting outside when you are ready."

With that, Rhianne slowly rose to her feet, bowed and left the room. Arnold waited several seconds before springing into action, throwing himself towards his clothes and searching them frantically. His transmitter was gone as were his weapons which included the small knife that had been carefully concealed in his right boot. He had not really expected to find anything, but at least now he was sure.

Arnold looked around and noticed the entrance to a room which looked like a bathroom. He ran towards it in the hope of finding a sharp object there, but he had not fully recovered from his ordeal and accidentally banged his foot against a piece of furniture. Arnold cursed under his breath while hopping on the other foot and finally limped into the bathroom. His search revealed a large section of grooming tools and ointments, but none of them had any potential as an improvised weapon. One actually emitted a laser arc, but a few tests demonstrated that it was most likely some kind of low power energy razor.

The ACU pilot sighed and looked at himself in the mirror. So he did not have any weapons, but despite the fact that he was growing older he was still a well-muscled man trained to kill in multiple martial art styles. That girl also wore clothes which could be used against her if he could get in range. Arnold looked down and raised an eyebrow: getting close to her would be a lot easier if he was not naked and he took the time to get dressed and arranged his hair as best as he could. When he was finished, he looked at his reflection and practiced what he thought was a good 'I won't kill you' kind of pose. He knew that he was in trouble when he could not even convince himself.

**XXXXX**

Desjar looked at the content of the box and smiled sadly. There were nearly fifty pictures in there, each taken at a moment where Arnold had been happy or at least less grumpy than usual. The problem when an ACU pilot died in his ACU was that there was not even a molecule left of him to burry afterwards. Special graves dedicated to their bravery were erected, but Desjar wanted more than that. Arnold would have hated to be buried in a place with a huge speech about 'all that propaganda crap' as he would have put it.

So Desjar did the only thing that he could think of that had any meaning: he took every good memory that he had of his old friend, put them in a box and placed it in a hole near the grave of Lin Pham. Arnold had taken him here nearly twenty years ago and had told him the story behind his deceased wife. It seemed only fitting that Arnold's true resting place would be next to the woman that he had loved to the very end.

"This is goodbye, old buddy," whispered Desjar softly: "Somehow, I always imagined that we would both survive this war, but I guess that we won't be that lucky."

Desjar rubbed an eye to clear it and looked behind him briefly. Both Jessy and his daughter Melissa were waiting and he nodded towards them. He shoved the dirt back over the box and spoke a few more words: "But I'm not giving up. I'll keep those bastards off Earth long enough for us to win. You just sit back and watch the fireworks; I won't let you or Lin down."

A smile briefly appeared on Desjar's face as he imagined Arnold telling him something like 'you'd better lube boy!' He then turned around, walked to his wife and daughter and hugged them both fiercely. It was time to get back to work.

**XXXXX**

Arnold stepped into the large room and the first thing he saw was the Princess sitting calmly on a large sofa. The room itself was elegant yet simple with sunlight coming through the many skylights and a large variety of finely tended plants covering the walls. Arnold could not help but think that back on Earth, the walls of a general or a president's home would be adorned with busts, antique armors or weapons which he could have used. Somehow, attacking by tearing off a branch did not seem quite as appealing.

"Please have a seat and feel free to eat some of the fruits on the table," said the Princess invitingly. Her voice had an odd vibration to it that made it both soothing and enticing. Arnold headed towards the sofa that she had gestured towards not because she had commanded it, but because it almost brought him within arm's reach. He cleared his throat and assumed the same polite tone that he only used when he needed a favor from Earthcom: "I take it that there's some kind of code of conduct that I'm supposed to follow? I would not want your personal guards to misinterpret my movements after all." 

Rhianne waited until Arnold was seated before speaking: "I have no personal guards nor are there any automated defenses or any kind of weapon here. You have nothing to fear from me or this place."

Arnold took a few seconds to digest the information and then briskly grabbed an apple. He was surprised when nothing happened and he did his best to appear completely relaxed as he sank back in the sofa: "You're not the real Princess now, are you?"

"I am the real Princess," said Rhianne softly. Her gaze grew sad for a moment as she added: "And if it will satisfy your line of thought then I can also confirm that the two of us are alone, that aside from the terminal in the lobby there is no other outside means of communication and that I am not trained in physical combat. So to answer the real question that rests on your mind: yes, you could undoubtedly kill me."

The blunt answer surprised Arnold and he half expected the Princess to look at him with cold disdain. Instead, her eyes reflected the same serenity and compassion as when he first entered the room. Arnold's hand tightened around the apple as he tried to latch on to something – anything – that would allow him to hate the woman in front of him: "Then why shouldn't I kill you? Just give me one damned good reason not to."

He expected the threat to shock or anger her, but instead she looked down; apparently saddened: "I do not know what you should do, I hope that you won't… because I need your help."

Her answer surprised Arnold and the pilot stood up quickly. The rational part of his mind urged him to jump forward and throttle her for the good of the UEF, for Earth and heck, just for Desjar and his family! There were thousands of reasons both good and bad to end things right now, but somehow he could not bring himself to kill a defenseless woman. Arnold sneered, dropped the apple on the sofa behind him and stormed out of the room: "Find another enemy commander to brainwash!"

**XXXXX**

"You sure he'll be all right?" asked Flinn with a worried gaze: "I heard that the Major General and Commander Arnold were war buddies for a long time… what if this was enough to make him flip?"

Carmack shook his head and waved Flinn's question away: "Nah, he would never flip. We've all lost buddies out there and I'm sure it's not the first time for him either. You just watch and…"

The pilot did not get to finish his sentence as Desjar quickly entered the room and immediately waved at them: "At ease everyone. Grab your data pads and let's get to work. We have some catching up to do. Matar fell twelve hours after we were relieved and while I would like to send all of you on a well-earned vacation; we still have a job to do." 

Desjar was about to connect his data pad to the terminal that would project the image on the wall behind him when he noticed that the seven pilots were all staring at him in an unusual manner: "Err, what is it guys? Do I have something on my face or what?"

The other commanders looked at each other as if to decide who would speak for them and it was Flinn who finally stood up: "We were… worried about you, sir. We all know that you and Arnold were friends."

Desjar winced a moment and motioned for Flinn to sit down. He then stepped forward and leaned against a chair: "I'll tell you guys a little story. One day when me and Arnold were partners we fought on the Aeon front for seven days straight, much like what we all did on Matar. On the seventh day I was so beat up and tired that I wanted to throw the towel. At that exact moment another assault hit our front lines and Arnold looked at me, winked and said: you're not giving up on me now, are you lube boy?"

A few commanders scoffed at the nickname and Desjar raised a hand to keep their attention on him: "He did not give me a second to answer and simply rushed forward to meet the enemy head on. He never gave up and he trusted me to keep up with him no matter the odds. We won that fight and dozens of others like it. Arnold might be gone, but I learned a lot from him and now it's my turn to ask you guys the same question: you're not giving up on me now, are you?"

Everyone in the room shook their heads and answered: "No sir."

Desjar smiled slightly and spoke even louder: "I must be hard of hearing because I did not hear anything. Are any of you giving up one me?"

This time the reply came in the form of a unified shout: "No sir!"

"That's more like it!" said Desjar with a relieved smile: "Now everyone grab your data pads and let's get down to business. The Aeon Illuminate wants to reach Earth? Well we're going to make them wish that they stayed on Seraphim Two!"

**XXXXX**

Three hours had passed since the first encounter with the Princess and Arnold had used the time to explore his surroundings. His first discovery as he attempted to flee was that the villa was encased in a transparent dome. At first Arnold had thought that the area was some kind of an elaborate prison, but after looking carefully he quickly understood that the dome was the only thing keeping the freezing winter outside from reaching them. He had taken the time to circle around the edge and had found the unlocked exit, but he knew that he could not survive out there without the proper clothes.

Arnold therefore sat in the middle of a grove as night fell while pondering his options, but his growling stomach made it hard to concentrate. There was no telling how long he 

had been unconscious while they brought him from Matar and he needed to find something to eat if he wanted to keep his strength up. He therefore went back to the villa with the intent of stealing the bowl of fruit that he had been resting on the table. Instead, he found the princess waiting for him on her sofa with two plates of food in front of her. The dishes appeared simple yet enticing with sliced fruits, bread and a type of meat that he could not identify.

Arnold briefly considered barging in, taking the plate and walking out, but somehow it just did not feel right. He simply walked in the middle of the room and sighed loudly: "So what is this going to cost me?"

The Princess looked up at him and smiled warmly: "The pleasure of your company while we eat? Would that be acceptable?"

Arnold sighed again and walked towards his seat: "Don't take it the wrong way, but as far as interrogation techniques go, I think this is a pretty crappy one."

"Thank you," said the Princess while bowing her head. Arnold paused with a slice of bread in his hands and looked back at her in confusion: "… That was not meant as a compliment."

"But it was an honest observation that came from your heart," said the Princess with a relieved smile: "Our previous interactions where you said one thing while meaning another had me worried."

Rhianne smiled in gratitude and turned to her own platter. Arnold hesitated a while longer before his stomach reminded him again that he was famished. He ate with gusto and although he hated to admit it, he had not eaten this well in a very long time.

Arnold waited until his hunger subsided before speaking again: "Well if you're into honesty then I might as well tell you right now that I won't convert to anything. You're wasting your time with me, Princess."

Rhianne tilted her head to the side and smiled: "You can call me Rhianne if it will make you feel more comfortable. As for our interactions… I am not sure if I am supposed to convert you in any fashion. It might very well be that you are the one who is supposed to have a lasting influence on me. I cannot truly say."

"Hold on a sec," said Arnold, swallowing a piece of bread before speaking: "You guys attacked and captured me, you say that you need my help but you don't know why? Heck, I should be dead, so why me? Why not Tim or any other commander out there? Are you pulling my leg or something?"

The Princess smiled, but shook her head: "Lying goes against one of the fundamental principles of The Way. I actually tried to persuade the other pilot named Tim to see things from my perspective, but he refused to communicate with me. The Princess of the 

Aeon Illuminate is usually discouraged from interacting directly in war matters where more experienced men and women are involved. She can usually only do so in areas where her Champion is fighting."

Arnold finished his bite and raised an eyebrow. So there were things that a Princess was not allowed to do. Maybe if he dug deep enough he might actually find something that he could use: "You can't seriously expect me to believe that none of you ever lies."

"I assure you that we do not," answered Rhianne. Her eyes were filled with sincerity as she added: "However, some truths are sometimes withheld until we feel that the other is ready to hear the answer. Of course we remain human and sometimes half-truths are spoken and in other occasions some people have hidden agendas. Keeping such secrets, however, does not promote inner peace nor does it help further The Way."

Arnold leaned forward then: "So are you keeping any secrets or hidden truths from me? Go ahead and try me."

Rhianne looked away for a moment, gave it some thought and then nodded: "As you wish, although I fear this would be one of the truths that you might not be ready for. The reason that I need you is that I firmly believe that it is your destiny to be here."

The Princess had expected anything from denial, anger or awe. What she had not expected was for the pilot to flung himself backwards and roar in laughter: "That is too rich! I also don't get the girl and I die in a black sun!"

Arnold laughed again, but stopped a few moments later when he realized that Rhianne was looking at him in confusion. He then regained his composure before explaining: "Sorry about that, but the last fortune teller that I went to tried her hocus pocus on me… and served the same lines to dozens of others as well! I never imagined that the Aeon Illuminate believed in that kind of crap."

"The Way has nothing to do with magic," clarified Rhianne with a patient nod: "It has everything to do with the mind and it reveals possibilities as one opens himself to the world that surrounds them. Would you like me to show you?"

Arnold stopped laughing. Was this how the Aeon converted others to their cause or was this merely a test? If he opened up would she expose more of the Aeon's inner workings and perhaps expose a weakness that he could use or transmit back to Earth? It was worth a shot and he was not gullible by nature after all. He nodded and extended a hand, expecting Rhianne to read his palm.

Rhianne did take his hands into her own and carefully examined it, twisting it around and touching each finger. Arnold was kind of disappointed that she was not actually trying to hide the fact that she was studying it, but stayed silent as she spoke: "Your hands show the wear of many battles. You have accomplished many things in your life and you would rather fulfill your duties yourself instead of trusting them to others." 

Rhianne's hands were smooth to the touch and Arnold found himself enjoying the contact despite his doubts. Her fingers crept up and touched his forearm: "You have stayed in good shape as if you dedicated your entire existence to this war."

She got up without warning and took a seat right next to him. Arnold's muscles involuntarily tensed as she touched his shoulder, but he did not pull away from her as she spoke: "You allow very few people close to you… you have been betrayed in small ways on many occasions. Only your true friends get close to you and you would die fighting besides them…"

Arnold frowned in consternation, actually giving her credit for reading so much into him using only his reactions. Of course there was the possibility that the Aeon had intercepted enough transmissions and written a psychological profile of him. He was still thinking about this when her hand touched the side of his face and her gaze stared right through him: "You bear the weight of a mistake… a mistake that others have forgotten but that has remained with you all this time. You have never forgiven yourself for it."

A gasp escaped Arnold. Did she know about Orionis? Her hand dropped and stopped over his chest as if to measure the beating of his heart: "As for love…"

Arnold felt his heart skip a beat and a single thought crossed his mind: could she know? Rhianne appeared to be reading his very mind as she spoke: "There was one… and you loved her with all your soul. She fought all her life and you're… you're fighting for her still."

The sadness in Rhianne's voice combined with the resurfacing memories were too much for Arnold and he pushed her hand away, stood up and took a few steps away. Rhianne folded her hands in front of her: "I am sorry; I should not have touched such a personal aspect of your being. I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

The Princess stood up slowly and bowed to him: "Today's trials must have been hard on you and you should perhaps get some rest in your chambers. We can talk again tomorrow if you like."

She bowed one more time before walking towards her own quarters, leaving a confused and vulnerable Arnold behind.

**XXXXX**

The next morning, Arnold looked at himself in the mirror and at the multiple grooming tools in front of him. He had not shaved in a while, but at the moment it felt like taking care of it would be like converting to The Way. He decided to splash some water on his face instead and stormed off towards the main chambers. Rhianne was waiting for him there, her eyes cast down as if she was expecting the approaching storm. 

"Ok, I admit that you caught me off guard last night, but that's all there is to it!" said Arnold roughly, forgoing any introduction. He started pacing through the room as he added: "So now it's my turn to ask questions, do you hear me?"

Arnold almost regretted his harsh tone, but Rhianne did not object: "Of course."

"So how did you do it?" asked Arnold without warning as he turned to her: "Few people actually knew of my relation with Lin and of the few that did, only a couple are still alive. Did your people hack in some secret database or what? And for god's sake try to keep the spiritual crap out of it!"

Rhianne nodded and chose her words carefully: "I simply analyzed your physical responses while keeping my mind open and without holding on to any prejudice. I then asked a series of questions and offered a set of physical stimuli that would prompt additional responses which I used to further my understanding of your character. This is about as objective as I can describe what I did."

Arnold crossed his arms and shook his head: "I'm not buying it."

"Then think about it this way: how do parents often know when their children have done something wrong?" asked Rhianne. She let Arnold consider the question for a few seconds before saying: "Is it magic, a kind of sixth sense or is it simply that they recognize themselves in that child? An open mind on the part of the parent and a careful analysis combined with probing questions is often all that a parent needs to reach the truth. With enough practice, a follower of The Way can learn much of another's past, present and sometimes even his future."

The Princess smiled reassuringly, but Arnold only frowned: "I'm not sure that I appreciate the comparison to a child. Also if you guys are so good at anticipating us then why the heck did I survive this long?"

"You might be burdened by a difficult past, but I can also see that you base most of your decisions on the present and on your core values," said Rhianne while tilting her head to the side: "I do not know you that well, but I would guess that you disobeyed orders multiple times in order to fight for what you believed in."

Arnold nodded and sat down; his anger slowly dwindling: "That's putting it mildly…"

He rubbed his unshaved chin as an idea formed in his mind. Maybe there was still a way to turn things to his advantage: "So you've judged me and so far you've been pretty spot on. So how about if it was my turn to judge you?"

"I would not call it judging, but please go ahead," said Rhianne. Arnold took a few more seconds to finalize his plan before speaking: "All right, here we go. As much as I hate to admit it, the Aeon Illuminate is winning. If I assume that you've been telling me the truth from the start then by bringing me here you have risked the respect of your people, 

your champion and even your life. That's a pretty reckless move, especially when the end of the war is coming so that leaves only one explanation: you're afraid of something."

Rhianne nodded, her face displaying a mixture of happiness and eagerness: "You speak the truth and it fills my heart with hope that you are able to see it so clearly. I do fear what is to come; both for the lives that might be lost across the galaxy and for my people. If the UEF falls then billion of lives will be lost. The Avatar-of-War will march across the galaxy and cleanse the last few pockets of resistance until nothing remains. If that were to happen then I fear that even The Way will not survive."

"Okay, you lost me at that last part," said Arnold with a shrug. Rhianne reached forward and grasped Arnold's hand. The pilot resisted for a second, but relaxed when he realized that she was only holding on to it as she spoke: "Think of our interactions at this very moment. Despite the fact that we do not share similar beliefs, do you think that our conversations have been at the very least a learning experience if not the seed of friendship?"

Arnold stood frozen, torn between his loyalties and his current feelings as Rhianne kept talking: "Mercy, kindness, compassion and love; when those feelings are used in conjunction with The Way they can mend and heal rather than injure or kill. It can end wars without the need for bloodshed. However if The Way is used without the very emotions that make us humans then it becomes a tool of murder as effective as any weapon."

The Princess looked at Arnold with sad eyes for a few seconds before speaking again: "You wish to know what I foresee? If my heart is not clouded by my own fears then I see the Aeon Illuminate winning at last and perhaps even live through a few decades of peace. However, I fear that the terrible lessons learned during the final days of this war would taint us so completely that The Way would once again be used as a weapon. I see Aeon facing Aeon, a war of ideology that would spawn another thousand years."

Arnold gasped at the realization: the spiritual leader of the Aeon Illuminate was afraid that they would win! Looking at it now, it made perfect sense that a leader promoting peace and understanding would be horrified when looking at the commanders which cleansed entire planets. This was his chance and he took a firm grasp of Rhianne's hand: "Then help us! You have power and influence so maybe you can stop your people before it's too late!"

"And what would be the outcome if the UEF won?" asked Rhianne, her eyes reflecting her sadness: "My dreams are torn between visions of holy wars and others of my homeland burning as beams of light fall from the sky."

The Princess looked away for a moment and Arnold wondered if The Way had somehow allowed her to predict the future. Could she actually know about Black Sun? Was the weapon able to ravage entire worlds? She finally looked at Arnold with pleading eyes: 

"Please tell me what would happen if the UEF won this war. If you speak the truth in your heart then I will believe you."

There was the chance that Arnold had been waiting for and yet he could not take it. The rational part of his mind argued that if he convinced her now then he might be able to buy enough time for the UEF to complete Black Sun and save them all. But how could he lie to a woman who had been able to ascertain his past merely by looking at him? No… that was the wrong question. The right question was why would he lie?

For the UEF and Riley? The Princess was a thousand times worthier of admiration than all of Earth's politicians combined, most of which had climbed the ladder of power through influence, money and corruption. For the people? The majority of those living on Earth barely took note of the war anymore. For his few friends… for Desjar?

That was the part where Arnold hesitated the most. The few people like Desjar were men of integrity, honor and respect. Arnold had no doubt that his old friend was worth fighting for and yet… Would Desjar truly want him to sacrifice an entire nation to save him? Would either of them ever want that kind of blood on their hands? It was one thing to win through efforts and sacrifice, but it was another to do so through betrayal, deceit and mass murder.

Arnold finally took a deep breath and told the truth: "If the UEF won then the Aeon Illuminate and the Cybran Nation would be devastated. The survivors of each faction would be imprisoned, assigned to forced labor or worse. Even decades later they would still be treated as second class citizens at best, forever scorned by those who would know no better than to hate them. I think… I think this is what would happen."

There, he had totally blown it… or had he? If either outcome meant billions of deaths then was it wrong for him to want another type of victory? Could there be other men and woman of integrity on the Aeon side who were just as worthy of living in peace as Desjar? Could he save them all?

"So now you understand the fears that inhabit me," said Rhianne, her head dropping as she did so. A lock of hair covered her face as she added: "At times, the situation seems almost hopeless…"

Arnold stood up suddenly: "The hell it's not! If you're faced with two bad choices then the only option left is to grit your teeth, charge forward and make your own! It's a bumpy ride, but it's the only one worth getting aboard!"

The Princess was momentarily surprised by the outburst, but then smiled warmly: "You are absolutely right!"

Arnold felt his face redden for a second, cleared his voice and then sat back down: "So tell me everything. Maybe if we put both of our heads together then we can find another path, one worth taking for everybody." 

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 5 **

**A Life of Meaning **

Evaluator Toth watched as the shuttle took off, leaving her alone in front of the royal retreat. She hesitated a moment, looking at the rolled bundle under her arm and wondering if the Princess had chosen the right course of action. A shiver coursed through her body as the cold mountain winds pierced her robes and the aged Evaluator shook her head. They no longer had the luxury of doubts and she had no other choice but to trust in fate and in her favorite pupil.

The dome's doors opened and Toth was momentarily relieved to see that no misfortune had befallen either the villa or the surrounding grove. It was a good sign that their guest had managed to restrain his primal instincts to escape. Toth had converted many prisoners in her younger days and she had learned to never underestimate a human's capacity to rebel. Even the most passive of individuals could lash out violently if trapped in a corner.

Toth had hoped to speak to the Princess in private, but as she got closer, she could already hear voices in the distance: "I fear that our notion of politics is vastly different from the UEF's. There is no practical way to 'vote' someone off as you would put it. An individual who is in a position of power is expected to fulfill his duties until he wishes to step down, is unable to perform them or someone better suited becomes available. As such, our system cannot truly be called a democracy, Commander Arnold."

"Just Zach, please," said the UEF pilot dismissively: "And the whole system feels impractical. I've never seen a person in a position of power that would be willing to let go. What if you were the one asked to step down?"

Toth smiled despite herself as the Princess laughed lightly: "I would be immensely relieved if that were to happen. Maybe if a wiser Princess was in power then she would find a way to end the Infinite War in a peaceful fashion. I would be eager to learn and to help such a person! Also… do you mind if I call you Zachary? It is a beautiful name…"

The Evaluator chose that moment to step into the room, noticing Arnold's embarrassment and cutting short the awkward conversation: "My apologies for the interruption, Princess. I have brought the information that you requested."

Rhianne stood up gracefully and Arnold did the same quickly afterwards: "Let me present Evaluator Abigail Toth, my mentor and a true friend. Evaluator Toth, this is Colonel Zachary Arnold."

Arnold tried to extend a hand in greeting, but felt a bit awkward as Toth bowed to the two of them. He decided to bow his head in return, unsure of what the proper etiquette normally required of him. Rhianne smiled approvingly and spoke to the two of them: "I will leave the two of you alone to get acquainted and to look at the information that Evaluator Toth has brought. I fear that my limited war experience would be a hindrance 

in that area. I will meditate on all that you have told me instead and see if it opens up any new paths. Good luck, Zachary."

Toth noticed Arnold blushing again as the Princess bowed and she waited until she was gone before stepping forward and presenting her rolled bundle. Arnold cleared his voice to regain his composure and pointed at the package: "Is that it? I was expecting a bit more information than that."

Toth delicately placed the bundle on the table and unrolled it, revealing an odd looking mat that covered a good square meter. She pushed a button on its side and the mat immediately burst to life, displaying a high resolution image of what looked like a workspace with numerous files. She pointed at each image as she spoke: "This touch interface has been uploaded with all necessary data. It includes unit specifications, battle records ordered by pertinence, troop logistics and the most recent intelligence analysis."

Arnold whistled in appreciation, marveling at the smooth and instinctive interface. Back at Earthcom, it would have taken twelve analysts a few weeks to gather all of this and yet Toth had been able to produce it on demand. Things sure worked differently over here and he made a mental note not to underestimate her. The aged woman sat in front of him and carefully folded her hands: "Feel free to ask me anything that would help you in your search."

Arnold tested the interface while looking at the Evaluator from the corner of his eye: "You do realize what I'm planning here, right?"

"You are trying to find a way to end the war and stop the Avatar," answered Toth with a nod: "Considering the current situation, this would imply killing him."

It was not the answer so much as the way that it had been given that surprised Arnold. He had to admit that members of the Aeon Illuminate were not wasting a lot of time if they constantly spoke the truth. Arnold looked at the multiple files on the mat and motioned towards them: "Any suggestion as to where I should look to do that? How do I kill the guy?"

The Evaluator shook her head slowly: "You cannot."

"No, I don't think that you understand what I mean," said Arnold while tapping the mat with a finger: "Sure I can't do anything from here, but hypothetically speaking if I could get my hands on an ACU at the right time and place…"

Toth waved a hand to stop the train of thought: "I understood you quite well. However, my answer remains unchanged: you cannot. If you confront him then you will die. The sooner you realize this then the sooner you will look for other ways to win." 

Arnold sneered and started digging through the files on his own: "Sorry lady, but you don't know me. I can make the impossible happen and if that guy is as proud as you are then maybe it's something that I can use against him."

"You misunderstand me, Commander Arnold," said Toth while shaking her head in resignation: "I do not say that you cannot defeat him out of a sense of pride. If anything, I feel a substantial amount of shame at not having foreseen this when he was my student. Avatar-of-War Marxon has no pride, arrogance or any emotional state that would cloud his judgment. He has mastered the most aggressive aspects of The Way so completely that he is the most feared man in the galaxy. He has won every battle that he was personally involved in and has been the most successful commander in Aeon history. He wages war on a military, political and spiritual front without leaving any weaknesses for his opponents to exploit. I have tried to oppose him for the past twenty years and so far I have failed."

"So you're saying that everyone who faced that guy winded up dead?" asked Arnold while raising an eyebrow.

Toth hesitated and looked away for a moment. She remembered one who had survived, but even the memory was enough to send a shudder through her spine. Arnold noticed this and leaned forward: "This is not the time to be holding back. If you know something then tell me. "

"I know of only one man… no, a creature that has managed to survive a battle against the Avatar-of-War," said Toth with a wince: "The encounter with the Cybran is logged in this file and includes the limited video footage of his escape. However, I would ask that you refrain from emulating his behavior for the Princess's sake if not for your own."

Arnold noticed the genuine concern in the Evaluator's eyes and raised an eyebrow: "Why?"

Toth looked away, her eyes brimming with guild: "Because she already had the misfortune of facing such a monster once..."

**XXXXX**

Lightning flared over the settlement of Cysis, illuminating the streets of one of the most fortified UEF base near the Cybran border. Although large scale tactical planning still occurred from one of the many Earthcom centers back on the core worlds, there was still a need for such bases. Pilots required a secured place to rest while being within rapid deployment range. As such, Cysis boasted the necessary facilities to house thirty ACUs with a minimum of ten of them always remaining on standby. The settlement was one of the oldest in UEF's history, had never fallen and had never been infiltrated… or so they thought. 

Redfog stood impassively in the middle of the storm and looked at the distant settlement from the safety of his armored command unit. Cysis had never been seriously attacked for a single reason: doing so had allowed the UEF to become overconfident and complacent. The leader of the Assumpta Node waited on the hill with six other assassins under his command. The force seemed ridiculous compared to what they were facing and yet that was precisely why they were here. No one would suspect that the Cybrans would start their attack by striking at the most fortified point.

The assassin looked down and flexed one of his cybernetic hands. It moved precisely and flawlessly according to his will… as it was meant to. He flexed it one more time before picking a remote detonator. He placed his thumb over the button and waited for a sign. Not from any of his assassins for they knew better than to interrupt him and not from any of the other Tips of the Spear either. If anything, they were the ones waiting after him, ready to launch their attacks in different parts of the sectors simultaneously.

No, Redfog was instead waiting for a signs from the heavens themselves. He wanted fate to acknowledge him… to realize that it was powerless to stop him. A huge bolt of lightning suddenly broke through the skies as if to defy the assassin and his eyes widened in glee. He pressed the button just as the sound of thunder roared through the hills and watched in satisfaction as a dozen well placed explosions lit up the settlement.

Warning lights flared, units started moving and patrolling ACUs regrouped. The explosions had not done any major damage… nor had they been meant to. Everywhere around the settlement, ACU pilots ran towards their war machines, convinced that they held safety in numbers. Their launching bay was almost impenetrable and each pilot's quarters were scanned meticulously on a daily basis. According to UEF analysts, no Cybran infiltration team could cause significant damage. The fools…

Redfog crossed his arms and waited patiently for events to play out. A smile finally appeared under his mask as another set of explosions were set off across the settlement. The launching bay was impenetrable as were the pilot's quarters… but not the paths between them. Explosives had been set up by infiltrators weeks ago in the unlikeliest of places near water fountains, in the garbage near bars, outside the gym… and had all been keyed to signals emitted from the pilot's identification badges. Why bother destroying ACUs when the pilots were so vulnerable and so predictable.

Fourteen pilots died two minutes after the initial set of explosions which had sprung them into action and the rest desperately tried to coordinate their efforts and understand what had just happened. Redfog would not leave them such a chance: "Attack…"

**XXXXX**

Arnold rubbed both of his eyes and tried to focus once more on the mat. They had just spent the last eight hours reviewing some of the greatest battles opposing the UEF to the Aeon Illuminate. The simulation only included the data on Aeon troop movements, but Arnold – like every other UEF commander – had been briefed about those historical 

battles not long after they had happened and he remembered them relatively well. They were after all some of the greatest defeats in UEF history and they all had one thing in common: the Avatar-of-War had been directly involved.

Although he had originally thought that Evaluator Toth was pessimistic by nature, Arnold soon realized that her appreciation of the Avatar's skill had been well deserved. His troop movements were graceful, precise and uncannily insightful. He only appeared on a battlefield after the area had been secured by other commanders, destroying any possibility of a quick assassination. Economic structures and units were immediately transferred to him afterwards and then he would begin his attack. Arnold had hoped to find some kind of pattern there or something that he could use. More than one experienced commander had been defeated because he always used the same opening strategy, but the Avatar used multiple variants.

The part that truly bugged Arnold was that somehow the Avatar was always using the 'right' counter as if he actually knew what was coming. He looked to Toth who had been assisting him all this time and raised an eyebrow: "How is he doing it? Did the Aeon Illuminate manage to decode our signals? It's almost as if he's aware of everything that is happening on the battlefield."

Toth nodded slowly and pointed at the mat: "He is aware of it on some level by using The Way."

"Oh not that crap again," said Arnold while massaging his temples: "I told you before: I don't believe in that stuff."

Arnold half expected the Evaluator to finally lose patience with him, but she only tilted her head to the side: "What would you rather believe? That the Avatar or his supporting staff managed to pierce both UEF and Cybran encryption codes and keep up as the other factions constantly switched them? Whether you believe in The Way or not does not change the impact of its practical applications."

The fact that the Aeon could be spiritual one moment and so logical the other unsettled Arnold. He finally scratched the back of his neck and stood up. Toth was about to stand up as well, but Arnold waved for her to stop: "I just need to take a walk and think for a few minutes."

Had he been back in UEF territory with a general or another high ranking officer then he would have been ordered to sit back down, but Toth merely nodded in understanding: "By all means, take the time that you need to find your center."

Arnold nodded in gratitude and started walking through the villa's corridors with his hands in his pockets. A thousand questions moved through his mind and made it harder and harder to concentrate. Was The Way all that it was cracked up to be? Could he somehow defeat or find the means of defeating the Avatar-of-War? Should he tell them about Black Sun? Could he actually end the war and save everyone? 

The pilot was so deeply absorbed by his own thoughts that he was startled when he heard the sound of water splashing. He looked to his right and gasped when he saw Rhianne with her back turned to him as she swam through the pool. Although the illumination made it hard for him to see, his mind did register that she was naked and he turned away reflexively: "Sorry, I did not know that you were here. I was just… um…"

Arnold felt his entire face flush as he tried to find an explanation that would not make him look like a pervert, but it was Rhianne who interrupted him: "It is quite all right. It was obvious by your demeanor that you were self-absorbed."

She had seen him first and had not cried out at the intrusion? Arnold suddenly realized that the Aeon Illuminate most likely had different taboos altogether and he tried to keep his mind focused on that as he heard her move out of the pool. He stood frozen in embarrassment as he heard the sound of footsteps coming closer and he was about to walk away when Rhianne spoke: "I am dressed now. You can turn around if you like."

Arnold hesitated a few seconds before finally turning around and to his relief Rhianne was clad in her robes once more. He cleared his voice to gain a few seconds and then spoke: "Sorry for interrupting your swim. I take it that it's how you relax or something?"

"You are partially correct," said Rhianne while gazing back towards the pool: "I often immerge myself in water while meditating. It has a soothing effect which helps eliminate distractions and sometimes I am visited by visions."

The Princess smiled as she spoke and Arnold refrained from snorting in derision. His own behavior puzzled him for a moment and he wondered if he was doing it out of politeness or simply for her sake: "Found anything interesting in your visions?"

Rhianne shook her head and looked to the pool: "My visions have been clouded of late. It is almost as if I am not seeing or sensing something of tremendous importance. It is rather distressing."

There was only so much that Arnold could do to restrain his own nature and he shook his head stubbornly: "I still can't believe in any of that stuff."

He expected Rhianne to frown, but she smiled at him instead: "Why not? You - like every other human - do similar feats every day without realizing it. Here, let me show you. Give me your hand."

Arnold hesitated, his instincts rebelling against the notion of converting in any fashion, but Rhianne smiled reassuringly: "Please do not be afraid. You can no more betray your convictions with this exercise than you could by taking a walk or reading poetry. You might be moved by it, but it would never change who you are." 

He finally raised his hand and she moved so that her fingers rested against his: "Now look and feel as I move and listen to my voice. Match me so that our fingers are always touching. Up, down, forward, up, down, back…"

Arnold allowed the Princess to lead the strange dance, marveling at her grace as her arm moved around and doing his best to match it. Their fingers never lost contact and the Princess kept telling him how she would move. When they were finally in harmony Rhianne spoke ever so softly until she no longer needed to. By then Arnold was so in tune with her that he barely even noticed. She smiled at one point and whispered: "Close your eyes."

Arnold was afraid that he would not be able to match her with his eyes closed, but he did so and entire minutes passed without their hands ever separating. They stopped in unison after what felt like an eternity and Arnold opened his eyes to find their hands resting comfortably in midair. Rhianne smiled again as she spoke: "The two of us were in tune, moving as one without words, without sound and without sight."

Arnold blinked a few times to break the spell and tried to protest: "But you could have moved forward or back quickly enough to break contact if you wanted to."

"But you knew without even asking that I was trying to teach and not win a contest," said Rhianne with a gentle smile: "You had a firm grasp of my state of mind, of what I wanted to do and that is all there really is to it. The only difference between this exercise and what I was doing in the pool was merely the amount of information, the scale and the final objective, nothing more."

Could it truly be that simple? On one hand, it seemed almost ridiculous and yet on the other there was that fundamental core of truth. Right from the start, both the Princess and Toth had been transparent in their dealings with him and they had done more in a day than what would have been done in a week back on Earth. They were not really allies and yet he trusted them. This brought on the very strange question of how many efforts were being wasted back on Earth? Mind games, seduction, political repercussions, squabbles, lies, misplaced pride, intrigues, all of those were part of the daily lives of everyone there and they juggled all those aspects without even realizing it. How much could be accomplished if those efforts were turned towards productive endeavors? Could a free mind be so aware that it could even foresee the future?

"I should get back to Toth," said Arnold, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with the level of intimacy that they were sharing: "She's probably wondering if I got lost by now."

Arnold bowed his head slightly and walked away; pondering the significance of that discovery with every step.

**XXXXX**

President Riley looked at the speech in front of him and cleared his voice: "War rages across the galaxy as the UEF stands firm against the Tyranny of the Aeon Illuminate and the Cybran Nation. Let me assure you that we will never surrender, never cave to the crazed demands of our enemies. Colonel Zachary Arnold understood that threat we face. He understood that the only option is absolute…"

Riley suddenly gasped in pain and stumbled forward, using his free arm to lean on his desk. He was glad that he was in the privacy of his office and not on live television. He had reflexively stood straighter as he had practiced his speech and this had increased the pressure on his damaged spine. Few knew of the disorder and those that did had been ordered to keep their mouths shut. Riley smiled bitterly as he took a few pain killers from a hidden compartment on his belt and swallowed them. It appeared that Arnold would be a pain up to the very end.

No, Arnold had not really understood the threat that they faced or the values of the UEF. If he had then he would have fallen in line and obeyed orders long ago. He would have known that not all truths were good for the general public much like Riley's spine condition. The public only needed to know one thing: the UEF would win no matter the cost.

The pain killers finally kicked in and the tension disappeared from Riley's face. The President regained his composure and stood straight once more, ready to practice the speech that would inspire others to stand strong.

**XXXXX**

Arnold was still puzzled by the time that he returned to the Evaluator and the old woman immediately realized it: "Is something troubling you?"

There was no right way for Arnold to describe what was bugging him and he doubted that Toth would understand it in any case. He finally sat in front of the mat and pointed towards it: "The file about that Cybran, I would like to see it."

Toth was about to protest, but Arnold stopped her before she could say a word: "I'm not trying to become whatever is in there. I…"

Arnold took a deep breath while trying to find the right words: "I just want to know what she went through."

The Evaluator sat frozen, puzzled for one of the rare times in her life. She thought that she had seen every human emotion and yet she could not find the words to describe what she was sensing from that man. She finally nodded and pressed a button. The file played out afterwards, revealing everything from reconstructed scenario, survivor accounts, video feeds, the final battle with the Avatar-of-War and the Cybran's daring escape. Arnold watched silently through it all and waited until it was finished before looking at Toth: "Who killed Evaluator Eldes?" 

The question caused Toth's heart to skip a beat and she looked at Arnold in fear. It was not expressively stated in the file and no one in the Aeon Illuminate would have ever considered asking such a question. For a moment, she considered weaving a web of words that would deflect the inquiry. Would knowing who killed her lessen the tragedy, bring Eldes back or stop the Cybran?

Toth was about to do so, but then she noticed Arnold's eyes. She did not see a fear of betrayal, disgust or suspicion… but instead she saw something that was almost akin to hope. The Evaluator finally stopped hiding the truth concerning the matter for the first time in over a decade: "Rhianne… she was the one who ended Eldes' suffering out of mercy. She did what no Princess should have ever done."

There, she had said it. Toth feared for a moment that she had just destroyed any chances of turning Arnold into an ally. To her surprise, however, the man smiled and nodded at her: "Thank you."

Arnold rose to his feet, bowed to her and walked away. Toth grew alarmed for a moment and stood up quickly: "Why… why did you ask? Why are you grateful?"

This was one of the most unnerving moments in Toth's life for a simple reason: she had never observed such a behavior before and could no longer understand what was going through the man's head. She feared that the truth had forever warped him and caused him to hate the Princess. Her fears vanished when he turned back to her and she noticed the content look in his eyes.

"I have followed a lot of dreams after Lin was gone: justice, unity and peace," answered Arnold, his voice growing bitter for a moment. He looked at Toth then and raised an eyebrow: "Do you know what it feels like? To follow a dream and then find out after months of sweat and blood that it was a load of garbage?"

Toth opened her mouth in shock, but could not find the words. She finally understood what the Princess had seen in that man. Through his entire life, Arnold had fought while searching for a life of meaning. Arnold kept speaking, telling the truth from the bottom of his heart: "You hear calls of unity made by people who are ready to stab you in the back for a promotion. You see justice being used as a tool and people get murdered in the name of peace. An inspiration speech about bravery can be made by a man one day and forgotten as he flees the next."

Arnold looked away for a moment and then back at Toth: "After seeing all that for so long, you grow weary of high minded ideals and of those who claim them as their own. So when you see one that wants peace and you realize that she firmly believes in it then you expect that she would fall down or collapse when confronted with the realities of war. You don't expect her to have lived through that… and still believe." 

There was a long pause and it seemed that Arnold was finally coming to terms with something before he spoke again: "I might never believe in The Way… but as strange as it sounds, I could believe in her."

Arnold then turned around and walked back to his quarters.

**XXXXX**

The next morning, Arnold stood once again in front of the mirror and looked down at the grooming tools. A decision had to be made… one which would have an impact upon billion of lives. There was only one course of action that he could take, only one that had the smallest chance of saving entire nations. To do so would mean betraying the UEF, his ties to Earth and even Desjar. But to do nothing would be even worse…

Arnold nodded slowly, picked up the razor and went to work. The tool was simple, but highly efficient and he was done with the task in a few minutes. He took the time to tend to his hair and then went back to his room. There he looked at the two stacks of clothes and paused. He finally reached down and took the Aeon robes, donning them and marveling at the fabric.

Both Toth and Rhianne looked at him in amazement when he joined them a few minutes later. Arnold was slightly embarrassed as they gazed at him, but still managed to shake it off: "I need to learn everything about The Way. It's my only chance to get close enough to the Avatar-of-War and end this war."

Toth's eyes widened at the absurd notion and she was even more surprised to find the Princess nodding slowly. The Evaluator looked between the two of them repeatedly before finally speaking her mind: "Marxon will never accept your presence nor would any of his commanders. It would take years of practice and indoctrination before…"

Arnold cut her off with an outstretched hand: "He won't have a choice in the matter."

He bowed to the Princess before speaking again: "Forgive me for withholding this from you, but the UEF has been constructing a weapon of mass destruction called Black Sun and it is nearing completion. From what I understand, it will be capable of hitting any target that is linked through the quantum network. If this war must end then both the Avatar and Black Sun must be stopped."

The Princess looked to Toth and back to Arnold: "If the Avatar learns of Black Sun then he will have no choice but to go for an all-out attack. In such a scenario, it would be unwise of him to ignore Zachary's knowledge of the UEF's defenses. This might give you the opportunity to get close… but he will expect betrayal and you may never be able to strike. Even if you could, you would most likely not survive." 

Neither Toth nor Arnold missed the note of grief in her voice, but the pilot merely shrugged and smiled: "Don't count me out just yet. I have a few surprises of my own you know."

The Princess was still worried, but smiled in gratitude. Toth knew that Arnold would probably not come back from such a mission and yet she saw no doubts in his eyes. She nodded her agreement as well, but raised a finger: "We should not forget about the Cybrans. We do not know what they are doing, but their recent activity suggests that they have a plan in mind."

Rhianne nodded to her: "You are correct, Toth. Please transmit the news concerning Black Sun to the Avatar and then hail my champion. Have her ready to depart to Procyon. My meditations have allowed me to feel… something there and we must ascertain what it is."

The Evaluator nodded and left the room. Rhianne then took both of Arnold's hands and held them tenderly: "Let us begin…" 

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 6 **

**QAI's Meddling **

Seth-Iavow moved through the halls of his command center at a brisk pace. Urgent news had reached him of a sudden change in QAI's behavior. If they lost control of their main spy now then they would not be able to predict when the humans would develop the necessary technology to reach the quantum realm. Seth-Iavow stepped inside the command room and found Thel-Uuthow waiting for him.

"Is QAI still operational?" asked Seth-Iavow urgently. Thel-Uuthow smiled reassuringly: "There is no need to fear, Elder; the situation is now better than any of our predictions. QAI is working at peak efficiency and is also under our direct control."

Seth-Iavow blinked in surprise and Thel-Uuthow explained without any further prompting: "Current data suggests that QAI has a quantum interface of Seraphim origin in its matrix. We can only surmise that this is due to a Cybran intervention to upgrade its capabilities. The artificial intelligence is therefore fully compatible with our technology and its main data loop is under our control."

The Elder winced, upset that Thel-Uuthow had once again acted without his consent. His second in command was brilliant and possessed a decisive mind that would be an asset if war ever exploded. However, he was also rash and his meddling in human affairs threatened to expose them to the enemy. Seth-Iavow gave it some further thought before nodding: "Can the Cybrans detect the change?"

"They neither have the mental capacity nor the equipment to track QAI's consciousness," assured Thel-Uuthow in command. The second in command's gaze lit as he added: "Even the one known as Brackman cannot fully comprehend what it is."

Thel-Uuthow smiled triumphantly, but Seth-Iavow knew that the leader of the Cybran Nation was not to be underestimated. While it was true that what was left of that human was most likely very busy with the war, it was also a fact that the Seraphim did not understand the man either. Like it or not, Brackman was over a thousand years old and his thought process was so alien that neither QAI nor the wisest of Elders could guess at what he was thinking. If he ever realized that QAI had changed…

"Order QAI to reveal Doctor Brackman's location to the UEF," ordered Seth-Iavow suddenly: "Make it enticing so that the UEF will be unable to refuse and plausible enough so that the Cybrans will not suspect QAI's involvement. I want him eliminated if possible; his continued existence is too much of a threat. And Thel-Uuthow …"

Seth-Iavow made sure that he had his second in command's full attention before speaking again: "There should only be a single attempt. I will not have us reveal our presence with this constant meddling or tolerate the same type of experiments that you undertook on Alpha Seven…" 

Thel-Uuthow winced but nodded, fully aware that he would not be allowed to cross the line again.

**XXXXX**

"General, I think you'd better look at this," said an analyst, his voice rising in excitment as he gazed at the data.

Samantha's eyes widened in disbelief as the data was forwarded to her screen. If those numbers were accurate then this was the biggest Cybran colony that they had ever detected. Their probes had scanned that sector of Minerva numerous times in the past and had always come up empty handed. So how could they gather such critical information now? Had the Cybrans finally let their guard down?

The problem when facing Cybrans was that they had to act quickly or else they were likely to gate in and find the place deserted or fall into a trap. Samantha looked at the available commanders and opened a channel: "Major General Desjar, we have just detected a large Cybran colony deep in their territory. A full scale assault is out of the question, but a raid is possible. I'm preparing to send Captain Tural to do just that, but I would need you and your men to establish a gate on Zeta Canis to secure his return."

Desjar looked at the data that was forwarded to him, nodded towards someone else on another channel and then returned his attention to Samantha: "I would like permission to establish an additional gate on Zeta Canis. The Aeon did not cleanse the planet for some reason and Weisman has some family there. We would like to evacuate as many colonists as possible during the operation."

Samantha hesitated a moment, but then nodded: "Providing a safe extraction zone for Tim will be your primary objective and evacuating refugees will be your secondary one. Good luck."

**XXXXX**

The sound of cannon and laser fire could be heard in the distance as the battle raged on. For a moment, it seemed as if the quiet beach would be spared, but that illusion was broken when the river's water suddenly started boiling. A UEF SCU appeared a few seconds later, its shield generator field covering an area wide enough to protect the other two pilots that were trailing it. Sergeant McDuff scanned the beach carefully before motioning for the others to follow: "All clear. Secure the perimeter and start building a base while Marc keeps the bastards busy! These Cybrans will pay for what they did to Cysis!"

The trio of support command units rushed ahead, but one of them stopped shortly afterwards: "Electronic signature detected at eleven!" 

The UEF units stopped and pointed their lasers at a small cube. The pilots' eyes widened when they realized that it was nothing but a holographic projector with the image of a stripper dancing above it. Sergeant McDuff looked at the cube in confusion for several seconds before plotting a course towards it and crushing it under his SCU's foot: "All right, we have no time to waste. We have to…"

His sentence trailed off as he spotted a trio of Cybran SCUs which had been waiting on a nearby hill. The sergeant aimed at the nearest one and fired: "Ambush!"

The other two pilots snapped back to reality and started building a point defense turret. Their battle formation was a standard one and should have given them an opportunity to fight back, but none of them noticed the energy signature powering up under them. McDuff's surprise was complete when a Cybran SCU suddenly burst from the ground and swiped him off his feet. The following crash stunned him for a second and the Cybran was already sitting on top of him by the time that he recovered.

Bagby grinned widely and opened a wide band channel without using any encryption protocols. He then swung one of his SCU's arms after the other and punctuated each blow with a word: "No… TV… and… no… beer… make… Bagby… go… crazy!"

A grin appeared on Dostya's face as she controlled the rest of her forces from the safety of her base. The UEF commander's move had been a sneaky one… or would have been had Dostya forgotten to put a series of stealth sonar in the water. She had tracked the enemy SCUs on her tactical map from the very beginning and had dispatched Bagby and his boys to take care of them. At the moment, she was systematically evacuating a node, keeping the UEF commander in check and safeguarding Bagby's position.

The UEF commander had apparently been left behind the Cybran lines after the destruction of his settlement. Dostya had already crossed reference with their attack plan and her data suggested that the pilot had been assigned to a colony that had been attacked by Redfog. If that was the case then she held few doubts that the settlement had been burned to the ground which explained both the pilot's rage and the near insanity of pushing into Cybran territory alone and without any reliable intelligence. For a second, she half regretted having to kill the man, but a quick look at the city behind her was all she needed to convince herself that it was the right thing to do.

Dostya sent a wing of Gemini fighters in order to gain air supremacy just as QAI's pulsing eye appeared on her screen: "Alert: UEF units detected near York Eighteen. I am patching you through to Doctor Brackman and one of the Tips of the Spear."

The Elite Commander nearly jumped in her seat: "What? The UEF located our base on Minerva? Impossible! I am on my way Doctor Brackman."

Dostya was already in the process of selecting all of her forces and was about to order Bagby to disengage when Doctor Brackman's face appeared on her screen: "No time, no time. My boy is only one gate from us. I must escape from Minerva." 

Dostya recognized the pilot without a name on her other screen and saw the Doctor nod towards him as if to pass a meaningful message: "Tip of the spear."

A few colorful Russian curses escaped Dostya and she opened another channel, this time opting to hail Gauge. The giant's face appeared on her screen and nodded, having already been briefed by QAI: "I'm on my way and I should have a head start on Brackman's mystery guy. I'll keep the UEF dancing long enough for him to make a base and get things rolling."

Dostya nodded and focused once again on her own battle, determined to end it as quickly as possible.

**XXXXX**

"Escape vehicles are ready and the quantum gate is powered up," said QAI, its pulsating eye twirling as it did so: "Please head towards…"

Doctor Brackman's hologram shook its head and waved a hand: "That won't be necessary. Send a message to our tactical division: notify them that I will not leave the area until York Eighteen is safe and have them relay that information to our newest commander. Once the city is safe, have the escape vehicles escorted to the gate. Oh and use encryption algorithm seventy-eight alpha for the transmission, oh yes."

"Warning: probabilities indicate that the UEF could potentially decrypt such an old code," said QAI urgently: "Your course of action is flawed."

The hologram shrugged slightly and an enigmatic smile appeared on its face: "Don't worry, QAI. My boy will understand even if you don't. Oh yes."

The transparent image disappeared as the bio module which held the Doctor's brain disconnected itself from the facility. A series of panels deployed from the side, enveloping the container and protecting its precious cargo. QAI's pulsing eye looked in puzzlement as Brackman's voice resounded from within the protective shell: "Initiating recall…"

A bright light filled the room and disrupted every sensor in the facility. When it was over, Brackman was gone and for one of the first time in centuries, QAI did not know where the Doctor was.

Back in the quantum realm, Thel-Uuthow felt something which he was not accustomed to: humans called it 'anger'.

**XXXXX**

The flash of light faded as quickly as it had appeared and the protective shielding that covered the recall platform sank back into the floor. The bio module stood immobile for a few seconds before its own protective layers finally peeled away in order to reveal the casing which held Doctor Brackman's brain. Sensors attached to the bio module relayed all the information that the Doctor needed to confirm that the transport had occurred flawlessly: "Well done my boy, well done. I knew that having you work on the recall theories would be useful one day, oh yes."

The base of the bio module lit up as it activated its anti-gravity modules and the Doctor soon made his way through the facility. It took him a few minutes to reach the base's control room and interface with it. Once that was done, Brackman initiated his hologram once again and started pacing the room back and forth, using the old habit to help him think. What were the odds of the UEF striking York Eighteen at that exact time? The node boasted a large amount of hackers which had been busy assisting QAI in the development of the quantum virus and Brackman had moved his laboratory there to assist with the efforts.

The odds were that the one of the hackers had accidentally given away their presence on the quantum network, but it seemed strange that QAI could not have prevented that. The timing between the attack and QAI's upgrade seemed too… convenient. The hologram stopped pacing and sighed audibly. Like it or not, QAI was one of their greatest assets and not using it now would be a serious setback. The Doctor therefore initiated a series of commands that connected the secret facility to the quantum network. QAI's pulsating eye appeared on a screen a second later and it seemed almost upset: "Why was this facility not in any of my databases?"

"Not all eggs should be placed in the same basket QAI, oh no," admonished Doctor Brackman with a shake of his head: "Some safety measures should always remain secret just in case that you were ever compromised."

Brackman smiled reassuringly, but the artificial intelligence seemed far from amused: "Illogical. My capacity to safeguard and use information is unparalleled. No other system or human mind could possibly do any better. Hiding anything from me will jeopardize my efficiency."

The outburst surprised Brackman who only shrugged: "I know that I encouraged you to explore human behaviors, QAI, but I would rather that you did not start emulating arrogance just yet. Now would you please forward all tactical data to my screen? I want to monitor the battle near York Eighteen."

The pulsating eye disappeared from the main screen and the view was instead replaced with all available information on the battlefield. At first Brackman grew worried when the UEF ACU walked straight into York Eighteen, but he sighed in relief when it only captured one of the facilities and left. No doubt it had downloaded all available data which might help the UEF to develop some kind of counter measure against the quantum virus. The Doctor was nevertheless relieved that the pilot had not destroyed the city 

afterwards. Many commanders lost friends and family in the war and it was not uncommon for any side to take revenge on civilians out of spite.

QAI had already managed to hack pieces of the UEF's communications and identify the pilot as Captain Timmy Tural and his superior officer as General Samantha Clarke. Maybe one day Brackman would be in a position to return the favor… or was that already taken care of? The Doctor kept spinning the name over and over in his mind and it took him a few minutes before his eyes widened: "Things really do come full circle, oh yes. Although I would have liked it better if he kept playing with toys instead of using the real thing."

"Doctor, is your bio module damaged?" asked QAI in confusion: "You are not making any sense."

Brackman waved QAI's concerns away and focused on the battle once again. The pilot had promise - that much was obvious - and he anticipated most of Gauge's attacks before they had even begun. His style was daring, careful or aggressive depending on the needs and it quickly set Gauge on the defensive. Brackman grew worried a few minutes later when a clever drop of ground forces created an opening large enough for a trio of strategic bombers to slip through. Those were shot down quickly afterwards, but not before they managed to drop their payload and the bombs caught Gauge out in the open.

The ACU went critical in that instant and Brackman shook his head sadly: "Gauge… you always neglected to upgrade your ACU with a stealth field. I will miss your fiery determination…"

The tactical screen in front of Brackman showed that his pupil's base was almost operational, but he knew that it was too late. The odds of catching the UEF pilot before he gated out were too small and his suspicions were confirmed when a quantum wake was detected a minute later. To his surprise, however, the UEF forces did not self-destruct which meant that an ACU was still moving through the area. What was the UEF up to?

**XXXXX**

Desjar sent a few more patrols outside of his base, but found no trace of Aeon activity in his sector. He therefore focused on the northern end of the area of operation and saw that Walton, Wright and Koster had launched a full scale assault on the lone Aeon commander. It appeared that the Aeon Illuminate had not expected anyone to strike back in this sector and it was a welcomed change of pace to finally catch them with their pants down.

Another air transport that was carrying vehicles full of colonists flew above them and Desjar opened a channel to Weisman: "Everything looks clear so far. How is the evacuation proceeding? Is everyone from your family safe?" 

Weisman's face appeared on Desjar's monitor and the man nodded gratefully: "Everyone is safe, even the family dog! I thought that I had lost them twice already. The first time was when the Cybrans took over Zeta Canis and the next when the Aeon stole it from them. Thank you for pushing Earthcom to evacuate the planet, sir. I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay the favor."

Desjar was about to answer when President Riley's face appeared on their monitors: "I have new orders for you. The lack of activity in your sector combined with our successful raid on Minerva has convinced me to prolong the mission. Captain Tural will be relieved by a commander with more… experienced in the art of extracting Cybran information. You and your men will hold your position on Zeta Canis to provide our specialist with a fallback point."

Everyone acknowledged, but Desjar knew that they were all cursing under their breath. The Aeon Illuminate might overlook a raid in Cybran territory for a little while, but it was only a matter of time before they decided to stop it. If they struck in force then it was likely that more than one of them would not return home. They all knew that, but disobeying orders was not an option and Desjar had to make the best of it: "Look alive people! Finish off that Aeon commander and scout the area thoroughly. Whoever finds and kills an Aeon commander as it gates in will get a free drink on me."

The gate near Desjar suddenly activated, indicating that Tim was on his way over. Desjar checked his sensors one more time to make sure that no enemies were in the area and then watched as a UEF ACU stepped through. The Major General then transferred some structures to new ACU and opened a channel: "Great job, Tim! I'm sure that Arnold would have been proud of you on that one. Secure the plains to the East and prepare… are you listening to me Tim?"

The other pilot was actively looking at another screen and Desjar quickly realized that Earthcom had not yet revoked his access to Minerva's theatre of operations. Desjar's rank allowed him to request such a link, but by the time that he did so it was already too late: the pilot that Riley had sent to Minerva was already dead. A sneak attack by a Cybran had caught him off guard barely five minutes after gating in.

Samantha's face appeared on all of their screens a few seconds later: "Finish off that Aeon commander and then initiate evacuation protocols. Operation Vaccine is now officially over. Good work to all of you."

Desjar did not know what was worse: the fact that Riley's specialist had died out there or that he was glad that they all had the chance to return home.

**XXXXX**

Two days later… 

Ariel and Rhiza stood in front of the Avatar-of-War's office and waited patiently. It was uncommon for Marxon to leave the command center these days and even rarer for him to summon pilots. Something of great importance must have happened and neither pilot could truly guess what it was. The door opened and Marxon's voice came through: "Crusader Ariel, please step inside."

Rhiza nodded for Ariel to go ahead and the pilot hesitated a few seconds before finally stepping through. The door closed behind her and she found the Avatar waiting on the slightly elevated platform with his back turned to her. Ariel stood anxiously and wondered what could be so important and yet so personal at the same time.

"The UEF commander known as Zachary Arnold was defeated on Matar," stated Marxon flatly. The bluntness of the statement caught Ariel off guard and she flinched at the harshness of his tone. To hold personal grudges and vendettas was considered a flaw; a weakness of character that could impact both one's mastery of The Way and abilities in combat. Ariel had always kept her inquiries about that specific pilot as discrete as possible, but it was obvious by now that the Avatar had been aware of them. Had her mistake caused such a huge impact? She stood straight as she answered: "I apologize for my failings and if there is anything that I can do to atone…"

Marxon turned around, his gaze betraying no emotions: "He was captured by the Princess' Champion and brought to Seraphim Two. He has been personally enlightened by the Princess and is on his way here as we speak. He will be assigned under my command."

The statement hit Ariel like a plasma bolt, causing her entire body to tighten in rage. At fist she had felt relieved to know that the man who had murdered her family was dead. She had regretted that it had not been by her hands of course and she had been shamed to know that she might have harmed her mentor with her vile thoughts. To learn that Arnold was not only alive but now a member of the Aeon Illuminate was almost enough to tear off her last shreds of self-control. The only thing worse than losing face in such a situation was that she was actually doing it in front of the Avatar.

"It is… a trick, a dirty rotten trick!" said Ariel through clenched teeth as she trembled with rage. She was surprised when Marxon nodded calmly back at her: "That is correct."

The simple statement snapped her out of her rage and she looked at him in confusion. Why was he agreeing with her? The Avatar slowly stepped towards her and came within arm's reach, speaking softly as if he was trying to calm an angry predator: "Under any other circumstances, I would not allow him here. If we had the time, I would question his right to wear our robes and to exist. I would even be so bold as to arrange an opportunity for him to snap and for you to end him. At this moment, however, I cannot allow such a thing to happen."

Ariel nearly collapsed on the spot. The Avatar was on her side, the only mentor that had given her every opportunity to fulfill her desires. She knew then that he was not to 

blame… the Princess was! She felt her tension drain as he placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked at him pleadingly: "Why can I not simply kill him? Can you please tell me that much?"

"Something is wrong with the UEF," answered the Avatar-of-War, his gaze growing inward as he did so: "They are covering too much territory despite horrible losses. Not even President Riley could force the men and women under his command to obey such reckless orders unless a chance of victory existed somewhere. Colonel Arnold knows why… and I will use him to win the Infinite War."

Marxon's hand went under Ariel's chin and tilted her head back up: "It is very probable that Arnold is here to stop me. If that happens, I will need you to kill him but only if he makes the first move. Can you promise me that you will be patient for a short while longer?"

Ariel wiped a tear which had barely begun to form from the corner of her eye and nodded in determination. Even now, Marxon was giving her the opportunity to fulfill her most ardent desires. She would fight, kill... and even die for him.

**XXXXX**

Arnold's hands moved gracefully over the controls, piloting the shuttle towards one of the military centers of Seraphim Two. Nearly a week had passed since his initial capture and his stay at the Princess' villa had changed him so much that anyone would be hard pressed to recognize him. Sleeping peacefully, eating nutritious food and taking care of his appearance had been but a small part of the transformation. The real change was mental and – despite Arnold's reluctance to admit it – even spiritual.

For one of the first times in many years, Arnold felt calm, at peace and focused. He was no longer troubled by the constant worries and guilt that had plagued him up until now. Learning The Way had been difficult at first and had forced him to face pieces of his past that he had buried long ago. Rhianne had been patient with him through it all and the task had become easier each day. With her help, he had faced everything from Lin's death, the loss of his original squad on Alpha Seven and even the atrocities that he had committed on Orionis over twenty years ago. He had not forgotten any of those losses, but had instead learned to forgive himself and move on. The overall effect was such a revelation that he almost understood why the Aeon Illuminate wanted to spread The Way through the galaxy.

A shuffling to his right reminded him of Evaluator Toth's presence and Arnold smiled as he recalled her lessons as well. While the Princess' teachings had been spiritual in nature, the Evaluator's lessons had instead focused on etiquette, politics and the inner workings of the Aeon Illuminate. She had also taught him everything from body language, voice intonation and vocabulary in order to gain insights from everyone else and better transmit his intentions. 

It was these lessons that allowed Arnold to see the stress that tightened her body as they came closer and closer to their destination: "Is my piloting worrying you? I appreciate the chance to familiarize myself with this type of interface, but I would rather not do it at your expense."

Toth smiled, recognizing her teachings in Arnold's indirect approach: "Your piloting skills are not at fault in any way. It is what is waiting ahead that is worrying me. Once we reach the base, you will have to face Marxon alone. Neither I nor the Princess will be able to do anything to help you. The fact that he accepted your help so quickly makes me wonder whether your plan has not already played into his hands."

"Both you and the Princess have taught me well," said Arnold reassuringly: "If there is a way for me to succeed then I will find it."

His show of confidence eased part of Toth's stress, but his mention of the Princess had apparently reinvigorated it. Arnold was surprised both at the reaction and at the fact that he had managed to notice it. He realized what was going on and he looked back at the controls while speaking: "Once the war is over, I will disappear if that is what I have to do. I understand that I might not be wanted anywhere if I manage to kill the Avatar-of-War."

His words caught the Evaluator completely off guard and she looked at him in shock: "No one would ever ask this of you, Zachary Arnold. Should the Avatar-of-War be defeated and peace achieved then you would be welcomed within the Aeon Illuminate. You would have a place amongst us for as long as you wished it."

Arnold kept focusing on the instruments and did not look at her: "But if I stayed, I would be an embarrassment to the Princess. Don't worry, I understand…"

Toth leaned forward, grabbed one of Arnold's hands and made sure that she had his full attention before speaking: "I do not worry about your growing affection for Rhianne either. I worry that she might unknowingly hold the same feelings for you… and that she might lose you in the days ahead. That is what I truly fear."

Old habits made Arnold doubt those words at first, but he looked carefully in the Evaluator's eyes and found no trace of deception. He realized then that no one would stand in his way if he wanted to live happily ever after and he found it hard to believe it: "But I'm nearly twenty years older than her for crying out loud. She would be better off with someone of her own age."

Arnold returned his full attention to the controls and felt his entire face blush as Toth laughed softly: "You are a peculiar man, Zachary Arnold. You are ready to face the Avatar-of-War, end the Infinite War and save the humanity… what are a few years compared to that? You still have a few things left to learn it seems." 

Toth's smiled disappeared as the Aeon military facility finally came into view: "We have arrived…" 

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 7 **

**The Dangers Behind a Bluff **

"Not of a military mind…" whispered Marxon to himself. The words were the greatest act of insubordination that the Avatar-of-War had ever allowed himself to do in public. At first, Marxon had been moderately pleased to learn that the Princess' champion had completed her mission on Procyon. Unfortunately, the Princess had given specific orders for her champion to spare the Cybran civilian population and return to Seraphim Two. How could she not understand that striking the Cybrans now could potentially save lives in the future?

Marxon looked at the galactic map that was displayed on the table in front of him and frowned. The Aeon Illuminate had made excellent progress into UEF territory as they cleansed one world after the other at an ever increasing rate. The UEF's casualties over the past two decades had weakened them up to the point where they could not mount a successful defense or muster an effective counter attack. The Aeon Illuminate was now in a position to strike at the core worlds, but so were the Cybrans.

A touch of a finger was all that Marxon needed to update the map and reveal that another system had just fallen to the abominations. Their information was fragmentary at best, but the Avatar-of-War did not require much to get a general picture of the situation. At a first glance, it appeared as if the Cybrans had done in a month what the Aeon Illuminate had taken centuries to accomplish, but he knew that it was an illusion. It was likely that they had attacked military bases, tactical centers and network infrastructures simultaneously; disabling a world and moving on to the next before the UEF could mount an adequate response. It was almost like a thrown spear aimed at some unknown target, piercing one barrier after the other without slowing down.

Marxon looked to the tactical officer to his right: "Dispatch Crusader Stilan to Procyon and have her finish what the Champion started. I want those Cybrans cleansed and the mainframes analyzed within the hour. Hopefully that will force them to pull back some of their troops and slow them down…"

Someone approached him from the left and Marxon knew just from the nervous energy in the air that it was Ariel. He knew why she would disturb him and gazed once more at the tactical map before nodding: "Send him in."

**XXXXX**

Arnold looked at the other pilot briefly and then back in front of him. Her name was Crusader Rhiza and he could not help but notice the contrast between her and his memories of the Princess. While both were slim, it was clear that Rhiza had trained all her life. Her frame suggested a body that was strong, graceful and with a high level of endurance. Now that he thought about it, Arnold had not seen an inch of fat in any member of the Aeon Illuminate that he had crossed so far. 

The differences were not simply physiological either. Arnold focused on Toth's lessons and tried to get a better sense of Rhiza through her body language. She was alert, focused and fully dedicated to her task. She was not overly hostile, but it was clear that she had been briefed about him and that she considered him a potential threat. She had not dropped her guard for a second from the moment that they had met and had always remained at a safe distance.

Something kept nagging at Arnold's consciousness as if he was missing something obvious and he closed his eyes to concentrate. Something about Rhiza was missing… something that he was accustomed to seeing in other pilots. His eyes suddenly widened in shock when he found out what it was: guilt.

The pilot next to him felt no guilt whatsoever for all that she had done. She believed in The Way and in those that represented it with her entire being. It was only then that Arnold understood the sense of regret that he had felt whenever he spoke to Rhianne about how the Aeon fought in the war. To believe in something without doubts, without question, without hesitation… blind faith.

The doors opened just then, revealing the control room with over forty people operating all sorts of consoles. A few weeks ago, Arnold would have most likely been amazed by how quiet it was and at the overall harmony of the setting. What caught his immediate attention, however, was another pilot or more specifically the way that she looked at him. Her eyes, her posture and the very air around her all said the same thing: she wanted to kill him. If anything, it seemed that she had to will herself not to.

Both Arnold and Rhiza entered the control room and Arnold quickly noticed the difference in the other pilot's movements. She was still alert and in control, but now she was also hesitant. Such a barely controlled rage was obviously not part of The Way and Rhiza's uneasiness most likely meant that she was worried. Maybe that was something that Arnold could use later.

Arnold's thoughts were interrupted when the man sitting on the other side of the tactical map raised his head and gazed through him. There was no compassion, mercy, hesitation or doubts in his eyes either. Unlike Rhiza, however, there was also no trace of love, friendship or even hope in any of his features. The seconds seemed to stretch indefinitely as Arnold's training allowed him to glimpse at what the Avatar truly was: an individual whose entire existence was fully dedicated to the war… someone who was barely even human.

"Welcome to Seraphim Two, Zachary Arnold," said Marxon, his voice devoid of any compassion. The Avatar then gestured for him to step forward: "Please step forward and take a look at this tactical map."

The formulation was perfect, but there was no actual warmth of any kind behind the words. Arnold snapped back to reality and quickly realized that he was being studied just 

as intensively. He stepped forward and took his place on his side of the table: "How may I be of assistance?"

Marxon tapped the edge of the table which transferred the controls over to Arnold: "I want you to tell me everything that you know about Black Sun. Evaluator Toth has informed me that you are now familiar with this type of interface. Use it at as you see fit."

Arnold looked at the data in front of him and nodded; the game had started. There was no way for him to physically assault the Avatar from across the room without being shot by either of the two ACU pilots or Marxon himself. He would need to gain the Avatar's trust if he was to get closer to him and that meant that he had to become an asset. Arnold briefly considered pretending that he knew more than he did, but Toth had warned him against any form of deceit. She had told him that Marxon's judgment was only surpassed by his knowledge of the Infinite War.

"I have never seen the weapon or the schematic," said Arnold while carefully measuring his words: "However, its existence was revealed to me by a man whom I trusted with my very life and I heard other rumors afterwards. Firing an energy blast through the quantum network is no small feat and would undoubtedly require a weapon of massive proportions. Knowing President Riley, he would keep such a project in the most easily defended planet: Earth."

As he spoke, Arnold used the interface to bring a tactical view of Earth: "There are only two experimental sites on the planet which would accommodate such a project while keeping it a secret: the island of Niihau and the South Pole. From past experience, I believe that the weapon would be deployed on the island of Niihau. It's easier to defend, better aligned with the quantum gate and not subject to the same temperature constraints."

The Avatar nodded, his eyes showing no sign of emotion: "So far our reasoning is the same. Continue."

Arnold took a relieved breath. So far, so good. He then pressed a few buttons on the display screen to zoom out and access the galactic map: "The past few major assaults conducted by the Aeon Illuminate have caused tremendous UEF casualties. If the data displayed here is accurate then President Riley is not trying to stop you. He's only trying to slow you down."

Ariel stepped forward and placed both hands on the table: "It makes no sense for them to do that by covering so much ground. I think you're the one that's stalling."

A few seconds passed, but Arnold waited patiently without offering a single protest. He knew that the pilot had spoken out of turn and that it was the Avatar's duty to put her back in her place. Marxon had deliberately waited to study Arnold's reaction. If he was 

disappointed by the lack of a following outburst then he did not show it and merely nodded: "Let him continue."

"If the UEF only needed to keep the Aeon Illuminate off Earth then this would indeed be the wrong strategy," said Arnold while measuring his words. He then tapped an area of the screen: "This data here suggests that they are trying to keep you off the core worlds as well. Three of those planets hold high concentrations of rare minerals which can no longer be found on Earth. We have often exploited those planets in the past, building key ACU components in order to speed up the process. My guess is that critical Black Sun components are being manufactured on these worlds and then shipped back to Earth to speed things up."

Arnold focused on a cluster of planets and then looked at the Avatar: "If I am correct then the manufacturing centers of Pisces Four are used for such a purpose. Pisces Two has gates which are better aligned for a trip back to Earth, but it only has enough troops to delay a serious assault for three or four days at the most. This leads me to believe that the components being manufactured on Pisces Four will be finished before then. If you wish to delay Black Sun significantly then I would suggest striking there."

Everyone looked back to the Avatar-of-War who stood motionless at his end of the table. The man finally straightened and looked back at them: "I will lead the assault on Pisces Two and I want Commander Zachary Arnold to lead the assault on Pisces Four."

A gasp escaped both Aeon pilots and Arnold barely restrained himself from doing the same thing. He had hoped to gain the Avatar's trust, but he had never imaged that Marxon would go so far as to trust him with an ACU on a critical mission. Marxon looked at him with cold and calculating eyes: "Do not be surprised for this is indeed the only logical choice. You see, I already knew everything that you just told us so far. This was merely a test."

The Avatar pressed a button in order to regain control of the display and zoomed out the map: "I have read multiple reports from other converts in the past and I was aware of the existence of these manufacturing planets for over a decade. I have also studied all of President Riley's battles from the days when he was an ACU pilot and I know for a fact that he prefers to keep his critical elements closer to home. A man always defaults back to the techniques that have worked in the past when trapped in a corner. If anything, your analysis confirmed my own theory and proved that you were not attempting to deceive me. That, however, is not enough proof for me to trust you."

Marxon waited a few seconds to let his words sink in before continuing: "There is little information that you can give me ahead of time that would be of any use to me. However, if I had you by my side in an actual battle then your input might prove useful. I will review your battle data when your mission on Pisces Four is complete and then decide if you are trustworthy… or not." 

The Avatar's gaze locked on Arnold's own, hinting that betrayal was simply not an option, even as he issued his orders: "Crusader Rhiza, please escort Commander Arnold to the Legion quantum gate nexus. Our attack will begin in a few hours and I want him capable of operating one of our ACUs by then. A machine has been prepared for him."

Rhiza nodded and motioned for Arnold to follow her. Arnold hesitated a few seconds, bowed his head and then followed her out. Marxon did not even have to look at Ariel to know the question that was burning on the tip of her tongue: "President Riley is also known to have backup plans. I would not put it past him to have multiple manufacturing centers producing the same components. Even if the mission is successful, there is no way for Arnold or myself to know if it will have a significant impact. If Arnold has any loyalties binding him to the UEF then he will make his move on Pisces Four."

Marxon finally turned to Ariel and saw the awe in her eyes. He then extended a hand as if he was waiting for her to give him something. Ariel realized what was expected of her and a wicked smile appeared on her face as she handed him a disc. On it were the self-destruct codes for Arnold's ACU.

If Arnold turned out to be a traitor then Marxon would kill him without a second thought. The Avatar-of-War would allow nothing to deny his victory. The screen on the table flashed and automatically refocused on Procyon, indicating that the Aeon Commander that had been dispatched had just been killed. It seemed that the Cybrans would not be so easily denied either.

**XXXXX**

Dostya sighed in relief and turned around to look at Doctor Brackman: "QAI's mainframe has been secured and the Tip of the Spear is guarding the area. I must admit that I did not expect him to succeed so quickly. He is surprising, but then again I did not expect you to use yourself as a decoy in that last operation either, Doctor."

A boyish smile appeared on the Doctor's face: "I may be old, but I do have a few tricks up my sleeve, oh yes. As for my boy, I must admit that I am very proud of him, very proud."

The Elite Commander raised an eyebrow, noticing the warmth that animated the Doctor whenever he spoke of his protégé. She still wondered at their connection, but now was not the time to ask awkward questions. A flick of her fingers was all that she needed to display the galactic map and the progress that they had made: "Our forces are deeper in UEF territory than they have ever been. Our casualties are few, but the UEF has been catching on to our tactics and devising counter strategies. If we don't do something soon then we will lose momentum. We have no time to face the UEF on equal footing."

Dostya waited a moment and watched as the Doctor lowered his head in resignation. She hated to have to resort to this, but they were out of options: "We have no choice but to 

activate the Chronotron Virus. I could do it if you want. A lot of good Cybrans lost their lives twenty years ago to install it... and to rescue me."

The Doctor shook his head before she even finished speaking and looked at her: "That won't be necessary. I ordered the mission twenty years ago to implant the Chronotron Virus on Earth and it is my responsibility to see it through. You and other symbionts were rescued during that operation to cover our tracks, but you should not have to carry this burden. If any symbiont falls during the rebellion then the blood should be on my hands."

Brackman straightened his shoulder and looked at the pulsing eye on the nearby screen: "QAI, activate the Chronotron Virus…"

**XXXXX**

Her name has long been forgotten and replaced by a simple designation: Thirty-Five. She was one of the symbionts assigned to maintain telecommunication lines in Northern America. She had performed her tasks flawlessly for the past twenty-two years; a slave that was forced to do her masters' bidding until the day she died or became inefficient.

What was left of her mind remembered that she had not joined the symbiont program willingly. At the age of eighteen years old, she had made the mistake of going on a date with a boy whose name she had also forgotten. She remembered how he had tried to force himself upon her and how she had defended herself with a well placed blow to the head. The blow had not killed him, but the fall against a broken bottle had. It had been self-defense, but the boy had been the son of a high standing politician. The rest was a muddled blur that brought her back to her current predicament. Her only relief was that symbionts were expensive and that no one had dared to touch her again.

Thirty-Five was working in the server room today and was in the process of making a backup when a voice suddenly surged through her mind: "Hello my dear, hello. Please do not be alarmed. What you are currently hearing is a recorded message carefully hidden along the memory core of your AI."

The symbiont was surprised at the intrusion, but she still moved through her daily tasks as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, the voice kept speaking: "If you are hearing this then something both wonderful and frightening is about to occur. A few years ago, a team of Cybran commandos managed to sneak on Earth and deploy a subtle virus designed to offer you something precious: a choice."

What choice could a lowly symbiont possibly have? What was left of Thirty-Five's mind suspected that the message was only designed to crush what was left of her. The voice continued: "If the virus was activated then it means only one thing: the Cybran Nation will soon bring the war to Earth. If our efforts are successful then soon every symbiont on the planet will be free. We will do everything in our power to make that happen, but we could use your help. This virus is not like the liberation matrix: it does not have the 

necessary power to free you. However, it can give you the temporary freedom to sabotage the key systems that you are no doubt maintaining."

The unknown voice grew sad for a moment: "The truth is that I could have designed this virus to force every infected symbiont to do exactly that… but I have chosen not to. If I did that then it would be a violation as horrible as the loyalty program. If you are somehow content with your current existence… then you should ignore this choice and the virus will erase itself after a few minutes. Nothing will change and you will continue your duties as faithfully as you always did."

The voice paused briefly before suddenly rising in intensity: "If, however, you feel as I do, if you see what I see, if you yearn for the basic freedom inherited to every living creature in this universe… then I would suggest that you rise now and take the chance that is offered to you. Help us break your shackles, earn your freedom and help liberate your other brothers and sisters. The choice is now yours…"

The voice was gone and Thirty-Five did the one thing that she had not done in the past twenty-two years: she hesitated. The fact that she was no longer moving seemed like such a simple thing and yet she had never been given the right to simply do nothing! Part of what the woman had once been reawakened in that moment and dared to hope. Could it be true? Could she be free again and see the stars? The logical part of her mind argued against anything that would endanger her, but she no longer cared. True freedom was reaching out to her and it was her choice to fight for it or not.

Ten minutes later, a pair of technicians scrambled inside the server room and found Thirty-Five sitting with her legs crossed amongst a mess of disconnected wires. One of the technicians tried to access the network from the main console but found his security access revoked and the backup systems disabled. The other was about to help, but froze as he looked at Thirty-Five's face: she was smiling.

The virus had run its course and had defied the loyalty program for as long as possible. It had been erased shortly afterwards, but not before giving the symbiont the ability to refuse orders. Thirty-Five did not understand it either, but right now only one thing mattered: she was happy.

**XXXXX**

Two hours later…

Jessy waited anxiously near the door, two backpacks at her feet and a baseball bat in her hands. She gripped the weapon tighter when someone climbed the stairs outside, but sighed in relief when she heard Desjar's voice: "Jessy, it's me! Open up."

She leaned the baseball bat against the nearby chair, opened the door and hugged her husband fiercely as soon as he entered the house: "Honey, what's going on? Everybody 

out there is going crazy! People are running and looting all over the city and it seems as if the police can't do anything about them."

"It looks worse than what it actually is," said Desjar, his eyes automatically drifting towards the baseball bat: "From what I heard, a percentage of the symbionts are revolting all over Earth. They've been disabling whatever system that they were assigned to maintain: communications, water distribution, server maintenance and such. Very few of them actually became violent, but the media are almost exclusively focusing on those and the pillaging that everyone else is doing. Fortunately most of Earthcom's forces are intact and operational for the moment at least. I see that you got the emergency backpacks out, good."

The sound of rapid footsteps caught Desjar's attention and he saw Melissa run down the flight of stairs. He let go of Jessy just in time to catch his daughter's fierce hug: "What's going on? Why did mom prepare our emergency backpacks? I'm scared daddy!"

Desjar brushed Melissa's hair in an attempt to soothe her: "Calm down baby. You and mommy are going on a trip for a few weeks. There's a nice planet not far from here that no one ever bothered to attack because it has no strategic value. You and a lot of other people will be going there and I just need to do this one thing before…"

"No!" cried Melissa angrily. She tore herself from her father and looked at him with tearful eyes: "That's how it always ends with everyone else at school. Whenever someone says that they just need to do one last thing then they never come back! You promised daddy! You promised that you'd always come back because you knew we'd be waiting here! How can you come back if we're not here?"

Large tears fell down Melissa's face and Desjar saw that Jessy was barely managing to keep her own from flowing. He dropped to one knee so that he was at eye level with his daughter: "I have to do this… for you and for every other little girl out there who want their daddies to return home. I promised the two of you that I'd always come back and nothing – absolutely nothing – is going to change that. So whether I win or lose, I'll still find the two of you no matter what it takes. You hear me baby?"

Melissa nodded between sobs and tried to look brave. Desjar picked her up and hugged her and Jessy for several seconds before finally letting them go: "Now pick up your things, it's time to go."

Both Jessy and Melissa did as he asked and Desjar briefly looked outside where a group of soldiers waited for them in an armored car. The squad was originally from Zeta Canis and the leader was Weisman's cousin. All of them had already sworn that they would lay down their lives to protect Desjar's family. Hopefully it would not come to that for a very simple reason: Desjar and his squad had been assigned to guard Black Sun. If they failed… then he would not be able to carry out his promise.

**XXXXX**

Rhiza piloted the shuttle out of the hangar bay and plotted a course towards the Legion gate nexus. Arnold looked out the window and quickly realized that the Avatar would have never allowed him to pilot a war machine in a base that was close to him or at least not unless he was in his own ACU. Toth's apprehensions suddenly came to mind and Arnold's own doubts began to surface. Everything about the meeting had been precisely planned to nudge him along a certain course. He had originally thought that he had an edge over Marxon, but it was becoming quite clear that the Avatar was several steps ahead of everyone. How could he defeat such a man?

"You should pilot the shuttle from this point onward," said Rhiza, drawing Arnold out of his contemplations: "I have spoken to converts in the past and while most of them agree that our interface is more instinctive, they also mentioned that it took some getting used to."

Arnold nodded in gratitude while reaching for the controls: "Thank you. I'll take all the help that I can get."

Arnold was quickly aware that Rhiza was studying him. A few days ago such intense scrutiny would have upset him, but the Princess' training was actually proving useful in this case. Rhiza was trying to understand him, but it was obvious that she could not. The Princess had told him that The Way could provide great insight, but only in cases where a person could relate to the other. Arnold could safely estimate by her discipline and rigor that she was most likely an accomplished pilot, but the odds were that she had never experienced doubts, uncertainty or betrayal on the same level as Arnold had. It was no wonder that she could not relate to him.

The other pilot's curiosity finally won the best of her and she asked her question: "Why are you doing this?"

"Black Sun is as close to absolute power as anything is in this war," answered Arnold with a nod: "Absolute power in the hands of a man who craves it would result in billions of deaths. I cannot allow that to happen."

Rhiza blinked, looked away for a second and then back at him: "So you doubted your leaders and the course that they had chosen. Make no mistake, I wholeheartedly approve of your decision to embrace The Way, but I still wonder why you did it. Billions will assuredly die no matter which side wins this war. Viewed in such a light, your doubts seem… incoherent."

Arnold could not argue against that logic, but chose another path instead: "Don't you have doubts or regrets?"

Rhiza shook her head quickly: "No, I do not. I believe in The Way and in what we are doing to save humanity." 

"If I never had any doubts or regrets then I would have never considered learning of The Way," said Arnold with a shrug: "And we would still be enemies. So what does that tell you?"

The younger pilot opened her mouth as if to speak but hesitated, unsure of what to say. Rhiza searched for an answer for several seconds, but then frowned in consternation: "I do not know. You have given me much to think about Zachary Arnold, thank you."

Her tone and entire body language conveyed the sincerity of her words and Arnold nodded in acceptance. He was loath to change the subject at the moment, but he found that something was disturbing him as well: "Why was that other pilot that stood next to the Avatar-of-War so… hostile towards my presence?"

Rhiza looked away quickly as if the subject was bordering on a taboo: "Ariel… it is not my place to answer for her. Personal matters are best resolved by those involved."

How could this be a personal matter? Arnold would have remembered it if he had ever faced an Aeon pilot with such hatred in her eyes. Besides, Toth had told him that ACU pilots were trained to accept the loss of fellow soldiers in combat. So how could he figure out how he had wronged her with such limited information?

Arnold closed his eyes to better focus for a second and a vivid image caught him off guard. He saw a little girl with a blaster pointed at him, shooting again and again as a shriek tore through her small body. The flash disappeared in a heartbeat, but the shock was so great that Arnold's hands moved involuntarily and pushed the shuttle off course by a few degrees. He opened his eyes in shock and a single word escaped his lips: "Orionis…"

Rhiza looked back to Arnold in shock, apparently afraid that she had betrayed her friend by giving the necessary clues to her past. Arnold keyed the course corrections to rectify their trajectory and took a deep breath. He understood that he had wronged Ariel beyond anything that he could have ever imagined. Somehow, he would find a way to make amends.

**XXXXX**

Eight hours later…

"Captain Tural has just gated on Pisces Four and has linked with the local defenses," said one of the analysts with a nod: "There are no sign of enemy forces for now. We estimate that the last Black Sun components will be ready for transport in under an hour."

Samantha acknowledged the report and kept monitoring three other sectors that were currently under Aeon assault. If President Riley's plan worked then the components would be transported off world before the enemy found out about them. They had deliberately moved the troops from Pisces Four to Pisces Two in order to give the 

impression that the planet had no military value. They had then transported the promising but still relatively unknown captain on the planet to safeguard the manufacturing site just in case. All they needed now was a little luck.

"Sir, we have confirmed the presence of Aeon on Pisces Four. I repeat, the Aeon are already on Pisces Four. Be prepared for an enemy assault. Earthcom out."

Damn it, how did they know? The Aeon never even got the chance to reach this far into UEF territory for the past three hundred years! Why had the bait on Pisces Two failed? Samantha was worried at first, but grew calmer when she realized that the Captain was in control. Her confidence was shattered a moment later when a familiar face hailed the UEF pilot: "Your defenses will never stop us. The Aeon forces are marching across the galaxy."

Could this really be Arnold? The pilot was clean shaven, perfectly groomed and calm. Samantha could not believe her very eyes and opened a channel through the Captain's communication line: "Zack?"

Arnold did not even flinch at the sight of her and merely answered: "Hello General…"

It was him, there was no mistaking it. It was the same tone that he used whenever he was angry with her: "But… you died on Matar…"

Part of Samantha clung to the hope that Arnold had found some way to trick the Aeon into giving him an ACU and that any minute now he would cast off this charade and rejoin the UEF. Those hopes were torn to pieces when Arnold spoke: "I was liberated on Matar; shown the error of my ways."

Hope was replaced by outrage in that instant and Samantha felt her pulse quicken: "… Those monsters brainwashed you!"

Arnold waved the notion away without even hesitating: "It is you who's been brainwashed, believing every UEF lie that comes your way. You are the monster."

That last statement hurt the most because although Arnold had never said it in the past, his gaze had often betrayed his true feelings concerning the choices that she had made. This was not the time for hesitation or introspection, however, and she had a job to do. For a moment, it seemed as if the Captain was paralyzed and Samantha slapped a fist on her console to snap him back to reality: "Captain, eradicate the Aeon commander."

The battle went on as Samantha tried to contact their forces on Pisces Two. She had hoped to send one or two commanders back to defend the manufacturing complex, but Pisces Two was already under heavy attack. The amount of coordination behind the Aeon assault was frightening to behold and she knew in that instant that there was no way that she could divert troops from that planet. The odds were that few of those pilots would make it back home alive. 

With no alternative left at her disposal, Samantha placed all of her efforts into coordinating the war on several fronts and making sure that the quantum gate would remain operational. The battle had several close calls including massive attack waves and nukes, but the UEF pilot managed to counter those. For a moment, it seemed as if the battle would finally turn in their favor but that hope was crushed when artillery fire coming from a hidden Cybran base collided with the complex's shields.

"Damn it, this is not happening! Is our security so badly compromised that everyone is aware of our movements now?"

The battle went on and Samantha felt her nails dig in the palm of her hands. If the Captain fell then it was all over. Another twenty minutes passed before the components were finally ready and then transported off planet. With that objective out of the way, fighting over Pisces Four was meaningless and Samantha ordered the Captain to gate out. Riley's face appeared on her screen and the President spoke to the pilot directly in order to congratulate him.

When his speech was over, he reconfigured his link in order to speak only to Samantha: "Have the Captain return to Earth and assign him to defend Black Sun's perimeter. Concerning Commander Arnold's defection… this information shall not be divulged. I expect our defensive plans to be adapted to take into consideration an information leak, but morale is critical at this point and I will not sabotage it by broadcasting news of a traitor. Finally, I want Captain Aiko to assume personal command of Black Sun's main installations instead of Major General Desjar. He and his squad will be assigned to guard its outer perimeter instead."

A gasp escaped Samantha: "With all due respect, sir, Captain Aiko is a good pilot, but her skills do not compare to Desjar's. His loyalty is not…"

"His loyalty is already under heavy suspicion General," snapped the President back harshly: "Arnold knew of project Black Sun despite the fact that he did not have the necessary clearance. Who do you think could have possibly told him about it? I respect Commander Desjar's abilities, but I will only trust Black Sun's security to those in whom I have absolute confidence. The fate of humanity depends on it."

**XXXXX**

A few hours later, Marxon watched Arnold's battle data intensively, his face betraying no emotions. The Way could be used to gain insight from just about anyone's reactions, but unfortunately such a process usually took too much time. Some individuals were adept at hiding their body language and in those cases a proper judgment could only be reached through a matter of weeks. Fortunately, there were other applications to The Way…

Hiding one's reactions in verbal play was one thing, but hiding them through the course of a life or death struggle was another. The Avatar-of-War had long ago learned to use 

The Way in his analysis of a battle and had developed it to the point where he could tell what was going on through another pilot's mind just by looking at how he fought. Cleverness, originality, eagerness, nervousness, fear, recklessness and much more could be learned just by seeing how he moved. Marxon had looked for any sign that Arnold was preparing to betray them… but found none.

Of course he had seen signs of hesitation at the beginning of the battle, but such was not unexpected. Only someone truly inhuman could turn on his previous allies without feeling some kind of remorse. Some of his moves had been clumsy as well, but those could easily be associated with a mentality that was used to manipulate UEF units. In the end, Arnold had failed to stop the UEF commander from escaping with the components, but one fact was clear: Arnold wanted to stop Black Sun and had been prepared to kill to do it.

The Avatar-of-War rubbed his chin a moment before nodding. Arnold's behavior did not guarantee his loyalty to him or to the Aeon Illuminate, but Marxon could still use him. His mere presence on the battlefield could potentially be used to weaken the UEF if the information was divulged at the right time. In any case, Marxon was well prepared if Arnold ever decided to betray him. 

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 8 **

**Underhanded Tactics **

A warm glow filled the cockpit, enveloping Arnold for a moment before fading away. When he opened his eyes he was no longer on Pisces Four, but rather at the newly built quantum gate nexus on Pisces Two. Arnold looked down and suddenly realized that the reentry sequence had not made him sick to his stomach. That simple aspect seemed both strange and oddly fitting at the same time. It was unfortunate, however, that his quest had ended with a failure.

The face of an Oracle appeared on his screen and spoke: "Please proceed to hangar twelve and disembark. Crusader Rhiza will assist you as you leave the cockpit."

So this was the end of the road; he had failed the Aeon Illuminate. Arnold had been surprised to find Tim defending the manufacturing facilities on Pisces Four. He had to give him some credit; the kid's skills had improved even further since the last time that they had fought side by side. Arnold had not relished the prospect of killing him, but stopping Black Sun was the right thing to do no matter how you looked at it. The mere thought of Riley having such a weapon was enough to send shudders down his spine.

Strangely enough, threatening Samantha had been easier than what he had feared it would be. Maybe it was because of all the wrong decisions that she had taken while following Riley's lead through the years. Arnold did not even want to imagine what would have happened if he had faced someone like Desjar instead. Would the two of them ever be able to stand face to face when this was all over? Would either of them even be alive?

Those questions plagued Arnold until he reached the hangar and he remained silent while the cockpit opened. Rhiza was waiting for him on the ramp and extended a hand to help him down: "I apologize for the lack of a proper greeting. Fighting like this on the front line makes it difficult to complete the necessary rituals."

Arnold took the helping hand and jumped out of the cockpit: "It's not as if I had earned it at any rate. So, what happens now that I failed?"

Rhiza's eyes widened in shock and she quickly shook her head: "You are mistaken; the failure was not on your part."

The statement made Arnold pause and Rhiza explained: "The Avatar-of-War sends his formal apologies; both for sending you on that mission and not welcoming you in person. He acknowledged that he underestimated the UEF's head start in processing the Black Sun components and that it was his mistake of sending you alone. Had he sent additional forces to begin with then your mission would have undoubtedly been a success. He has reviewed your battle data and his only comment was that your movements could become more graceful with additional experience. Your valor and dedication were never placed into question." 

That was it? He had failed his primary objective and yet it was the Avatar who was apologizing? Arnold did not doubt for a second that he would have been publicly crucified if Riley had been in charge and yet the Avatar's reaction made perfect sense in this context. The Aeon Illuminate had no use for pride or reputation and as such, its commanding officers were not required to save face by selecting a scapegoat. The feeling behind such a notion was as unsettling as the Aeon's quantum gates.

"Rhiza, we have to go," came the sudden interruption. Both pilots turned and saw Ariel waiting at the end of the walkway. Rhiza nodded and bowed to Arnold: "My apologies, but our path will lead us to Eridani. The system must fall so that it cannot be used to reinforce Earth once we launch our final assault. It is probable that we will not meet until the end of the Infinite War. If that is the case then I wish you good luck on your journey, Zachary Arnold. It was an honor to meet you."

The sincerity and warmth behind the words touched Arnold despite his usual doubts. She had accepted him without hesitation and he found himself bowing in return: "It was an honor to meet you as well, Crusader Rhiza."

Rhiza smiled and started walking towards Ariel. Arnold hesitated a moment before jogging forward and raising a hand: "Crusader Ariel? May I have a moment of your time?"

Both pilots turned to look at him, one curious and the other outraged. Arnold ignored Ariel's hostile gaze and lowered his head: "I realize that I can never take back what I did twenty years ago. I know that it offers neither comfort nor does it excuses my actions, but it had not been my intent to strike at a civilian target. I offer you my sincere apologies and I hope to be able to make it up to you one day."

Rhiza's face beamed with approval and she nodded towards Arnold in gratitude. She turned around to look at her partner, but Ariel's features transformed her happiness into dismay. Ariel was literally bristling with barely contained fury. Anger, hatred and frustration washed through her features in quick succession before she finally took a deep breath and offered a strained smile: "Oh, you will."

There was a hidden threat and a barely perceptible hint of viciousness behind the words, but Ariel stormed off before anything else could be said. Rhiza bowed while touching her forehead to offer a silent apology and quickly ran after Ariel. She waited until they were further in the complex before speaking her mind: "His apology was a sincere one; you should not have rejected it like that."

Ariel sneered and did not even look at Rhiza: "I have no use for him or any of his kind! Our task is to end the Infinite War and we should only concern ourselves with that."

Rhiza grabbed Ariel by the arm and stopped her: "Our duty is to spread The Way and save humanity. We should not turn our backs on those that reach out to it. Zachary Arnold had made remarkable progress in a very short amount of time." 

"And you would side with him rather than me?" asked Ariel in outrage, her words sounding like an accusation. Rhiza flinched, but did not answer, giving it some serious thought. Ariel noticed this and her eyes darkened: "If your mind is clouded with doubts then you should revoke your right to pilot an ACU and chose an SCU instead! We are too close to the end of the Infinite War to stumble now. This is not the time to question The Way."

Ariel shook Rhiza's hand off and rushed down the corridor alone. Rhiza stood frozen into place as she worried for her friend. It was true that she had doubts and that it was her responsibility to pilot a SCU in such circumstances. Thinking back to what Arnold had told her, she honestly wondered if her doubts were not justified.

**XXXXX**

September 6th…

"Curse you to hell Brackman!" shouted Hex-Five angrily. The smuggler slammed both fists against the table in frustration. How could things go so horribly wrong? Roughly a week had passed since the Doctor had activated his virus and things had gone downhill from there. The Seven Hand Node's entire smuggling operation was based on Pollux and now all of their agents - over sixty percent of the node - were incarcerated.

It had taken years for Hex-Five to manipulate the UEF from a distance so that a 'reasonable' commander would be in charge of the planet's security. The Seven Hand Node had then set up a comfortable smuggling operation, trading illegal drugs, enhancers and data in exchange for exotic food, news feed and other hard to find goods. Of course the UEF commander had received his own cut as well; enjoying a variety of pain killers and stimulants that were hard to detect.

Everything had worked out perfectly for the past six years, but Brackman's virus has changed all that. The sudden uprising of so many symbionts had forced the UEF to tighten security wherever they could and it had not taken them long to realize that something was wrong on Pollux. They had dispatched a new commander and that one had immediately ordered that all non-essential symbionts be incarcerated until their AI could be reevaluated. Hex-Five's men knew how to act like every other UEF symbiont, but it was only a matter of time before their true nature was revealed. If that happened, the Seven Hand Node's operations would be so deeply affected that it would take decades to recover. Hex-Five would not allow that.

"QAI, respond," said Hex-Five as he opened a channel. The smuggler only had to wait a second before the pulsating eye appeared on his console. Hex-Five smiled and brought a hand to his chin: "Tell Brackman that we have Black Sun's access codes. With those, the Cybran Nation could gate directly to the Hawaiian Islands without triggering an alarm and attack Black Sun from there. I will give him the codes in exchange for his help in rescuing my node mates." 

QAI pulsed once before answering: "Your proposition is illogical. The freedom of the entire Cybran Nation – including your node mates - depends on capturing Black Sun. Any delay caused by useless operations will endanger that mission. Giving us the codes now is the only logical course."

The smuggler smiled and leaned towards the screen: "Business is not always about logic, my friend. My proposition remains the same and there is nothing that you can say to change it. If I were you, I would evaluate the benefits of having Black Sun's access codes compared to the risk of sending one or two commanders to do what I ask. Even you should realize that it's a bargain…"

**XXXXX**

Back in the hidden research facility, Dostya jumped forward and slammed both hands on her console: "He dares blackmail us? The Seven Hand Node is nothing but a pack of thieves. We should let him rot-"

Brackman extended a hand to stop Dostya: "No choice. We must secure those codes, no matter the cost."

Dostya cursed under her breath but nodded, knowing that the Doctor was right. She would like nothing more than to have Hex-Five in front of her right now so that she could squeeze the codes out of him, but they had no time to track him down. She brought up a tactical screen as QAI and Doctor Brackman finished briefing of the Tip of the Spear and assessed the situation. She then dispatched orders so that ten other Cybran commanders would attack another nearby system in a series of decoy operations. With luck, that would buy them enough time to complete the operation.

**XXXXX**

Samantha's screen flashed repeatedly as emergency reports came in, indicating that eleven simultaneous attacks had begun on the Cybran front. Her fingers moved over her console as she looked at the symbionts to her right: "I want a report on those planets. Find me which one is the real target, now!"

The numbers appeared on her screen, giving each sector a good seven to nine percent probability of being the true target. Samantha gritted her teeth, realizing that the numbers were of no use under such circumstances. Worse still, the past two weeks had shown that while Cybrans often launched decoy missions, they were also liable to complete their fake objective if the defending forces were too weak.

The General was still trying to decide where to launch her available reinforcements when Desjar's face appeared on her screen: "General Clarke, might I have a word with you?" 

"This is bad time, Major General Desjar," said Samantha between clenched teeth: "Unless you know which system is the Cybrans' real target then you'll have to wait. I have eleven choices here and none of them are promising."

Samantha was on the verge of cutting off the transmission when Desjar nodded and said: "It's the third or fourth one starting from the bottom of the list."

The General paused and looked up, confused as to how Desjar could venture a guess without even knowing which system was under attack yet. The other pilot merely shrugged: "We are using symbionts to make the calculations and the Cybrans know how they think. They won't strike at the most critical target because they are the most likely to get reinforcements and they won't strike at the weakest ones because a clever commander might suspect those as well. So the third or fourth sector starting from the bottom of the list sounds about right or at least that's what I would do if I was them."

Samantha frowned and shook her head: "I can't justify deploying troops on that kind of hunch. I'm sending reinforcements to the most likely targets and hopefully they can push back the Cybrans quickly enough to assist the other sectors."

Desjar shrugged and leaned forward in his seat: "Now that this is taken care of, would you care to explain why we were reassigned to Kauai? I dodged the question for the past week, but my men are getting restless. We all know that if Black Sun is attacked directly then we won't be close enough to strike quickly. I respect Captain Aiko but… well let's just say that we'd be more than happy to lend her a hand. Heck, if I had to nominate someone to assist her then I'd send Tim. I have not spoken to him a lot in the past few days, but he's good enough to operate independently. Arnold would be proud of him."

Samantha barely refrained from wincing at that last sentence and had to content herself with shaking her head: "I'm not at liberty to negotiate or even discuss Black Sun's security with you. You'll just have to follow orders."

Desjar's eyes darkened for a moment as if he was sensing that something was wrong: "I don't know what this is about, General, but if this is in any way related to my men then I would like to go on record and say that I would trust my life to any of them."

"Your objections are noted, Major General," snapped Samantha back: "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a war to get back to."

Samantha closed the channel and asked for an update on the Cybran front. To her relief, the eleven sectors that had been under attack were now clear. Unfortunately, the prison facility on Pollux had been hit and Captain Godwyn had fallen in the process. Samantha grew curious and brought up her initial list. Pollux had been the fourth target starting from the bottom of that list…

**XXXXX**

Dostya moved through the corridors of the outpost at a brisk pace and unconsciously touched one of her pockets. In it was the data chip that Doctor Brackman had instructed her to add to his protégé's ACU. Its content must have been precious for him to rely on a personal delivery instead of using the quantum network. Dostya might have objected to the task if she did not have a personal delivery to make in the process as well. She looked at the bag in her left hand and her eyes soften for a split second as she considered the memories that it represented.

"This is outrageous! Unhand me this instant!" came the sudden protest.

The cries brought Dostya's mind to reality and she noticed that two commandos were preventing Hex-Five from leaving the quarters that he had been assigned to. The smuggler noticed her and pointed an accusing finger: "You! Tell these imbeciles to let us go! The Seven Hand Node has done an incredible contribution to the war effort by supplying those codes and it's unfair for us to be restrained in this pace."

Dostya winced and made her way towards the smuggler: "You'll only be detained here until we make use of them. Considering the secrecy of those codes, I'm sure you'll understand."

The smuggler gesture wildly while feigning a hurt expression: "Are you implying that we would leak such information to the UEF? How could you even believe that we would be capable of such betrayal?"

Dostya handed her bag to one of the commandos: "Hold this."

She then placed a comforting hand on Hex-Five's shoulder and looked him in the eyes for a few seconds before speaking: "Let me put it this way…"

Dostya moved forward in the blink of an eye, slamming her forehead in the smuggler's nose. Her knee went up a moment later and slammed straight into Hex-Five's groin. Dostya stepped back and let the man fall to his knees: "I don't think that I can be any clearer than this. You blackmailed us, nearly compromised the entire war effort and even got caught by the UEF. Had it been me in that ACU, I would have destroyed the prison instead of rescuing you. So the best thing that you can do right now is shut up, stand out of the way and pray that we win despite your blundering. Am I absolutely clear… or do you need me to emphasize the point some more?"

Hex-Five nodded with his eyes closed and one hand pinching his bleeding nose. Dostya took her bag from the commando and resumed her course without giving the smuggler any further thought. Hopefully when the war was over, there would no longer be a need for scumbags like Hex-Five and the Cybran Nation could turn to its people's needs. Only then would Dostya allow herself to grieve for all the losses that she had endured through the years. 

It took her another ten minutes to reach the hangar bay and she found her target waiting for her. The ACU had been recently updated with the latest software to fool enemy sensors and the engineers were sitting a bit further back and reviewing the machine's battle data. Dostya stepped inside the cockpit and opened the compact cargo container under the pilot's seat. There she placed the bottle of vodka that she had kept with her for over a decade. On it were the same letters that she had carved on the day the she had acquired it: for Mather.

Dostya looked at the bottle for a moment, feeling a longing for the man that she had lost so long ago and for the future that they had not been able to share. She blinked away the moisture that clouded her vision and closed the container. She then inserted the data chip as Brackman had instructed her to and stepped outside. She looked around and immediately saw the Doctor's protégé walk towards her. He still wore his helmet which made it impossible for anyone to guess at what he was truly thinking.

"I just installed a data chip under orders from Doctor Brackman," said Dostya while gesturing towards the cockpit: "He said that it contained something that was meant for your eyes only. He also said that you would understand."

The mysterious pilot nodded slowly: "Thank you."

Dostya straightened her shoulders and took on a serious pose: "I have also been instructed to tell you that you have been selected to lead the assault on Earth. A few minor battles separate us from our final goal, but there are no doubts now that we will actually reach it. If we win… then we will lose all forms of communications with you for several years. Can you accept that?"

The pilot nodded again and Dostya smiled approvingly. She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring shake: "We'll see you in a few years then. When that happens, I expect you to come to Bagby's bar and share some interesting stories with the rest of us. Good luck commander."

**XXXXX**

September 9th…

Toth sat unmoving as the door to her meditation chamber was kicked open and armed soldiers rushed through. She had foreseen this the moment that the Champion had been dispatched on Eridani to spread the Princess' call. The Evaluator was not surprised when she felt the unmistakable aura of the Avatar-of-War as he entered the room: "How dare you?"

The Evaluator sat unflinching as Marxon moved to stand in front of her. The waves of hatred were almost palpable despite the Avatar's calm features: "How dare you betray the Aeon Illuminate? The whole galaxy stands on the edge of disaster and your opposition threatens to doom us all!" 

"The Aeon Illuminate's purpose is to spread The Way, not death," countered Toth without hesitation: "No true believer in The Way can stand by and watch as we commit genocide."

A few soldiers shuffled uneasily, but none of them lowered their weapon. Their first loyalty was to Marxon and the Avatar was well aware of that: "Where is the Princess? If we put a stop to this now then this war can end without ever having an Aeon kill another. The lives of billions depend on it, Evaluator Toth."

"I agree Marxon, the lives of billions do hang in the balance," said Toth, her brimming with sadness as she looked at the Avatar: "Stop this madness. End the Infinite War without further bloodshed. Help the Princess stop Black Sun and unite humanity once again. To cleanse all of humanity is to destroy an essential part of us all."

Marxon looked from left to right as if searching for clues. He looked back to the Evaluator and sneered: "You and those other ministers purposely remained on Seraphim Two to give the Princess enough time to escape. We have no time to search the whole galaxy for her."

The Avatar-of-War drew his blaster and aimed it at the Evaluator's chest: "Call her and advise her to cease this rebellion immediately. I have no further time to waste here."

Toth looked mournfully from the blaster and back to Marxon: "Jaran, I beg of you as an Evaluator, as a mentor and as a friend…stop this folly. Remember the dream that we shared so long ago. Find the warmth that animated you and let go of this war."

Marxon's hand held the blaster without wavering: "An Avatar-of-War does not have the luxury of a dream."

A bright flash of pain coursed through Toth's chest as the beam of light pierced her heart. The instant passed quickly and Toth looked at Marxon one last time with great pity before collapsing. The Avatar turned towards the other soldiers and nodded: "Execute the other traitors and send the signal for our armies to prepare the final assault on Earth. We will not allow The Way to fall, not when we are this close to achieving true peace."

**XXXXX**

September 14th…

The battle on Earth had begun. The Aeon Illuminate had launched their assault six hours ago and the UEF was desperately trying to fend them off. Fortunately for the UEF, the islands of Hawaii had not been chosen randomly. Their relatively small land mass made it hard to sustain a large number of commanders which meant that gating directly on site was next to impossible without the access codes. As such, the Aeon Illuminate had been 

forced to wage a full planetary war, building bases that would supply the necessary forces to attack Black Sun.

Meanwhile, the largest Cybran army ever gathered waited on several worlds with each ACU ready to gate to a different continent. They had waited on purpose, letting the Aeon and the UEF meet each other head on. QAI was actively monitoring civilian communications in order to estimate where the battles were taking place. With such valuable information in hand, the Cybrans would be able to gate in unlikely locations and establish stealth bases without either side realizing it. Only then would the Cybran Nation strike, using strategy and stealth as it always had.

Dostya was back in Doctor Brackman's control room and stood poised in front of the tactical screens: "This is Dostya to all Cybran commanders. The black sun access codes have been entered and we are locked on target. Everyone will launch a few seconds after the Tip of the Spear has gated in. All commanders report your status…"

Dostya watched as the symbol besides each ACU became green. She spared a look towards Doctor Brackman and recognized the same apprehension that plagued her. The result of the entire Infinite War would be decided this day. Dostya looked back at the tactical screen and began the final countdown: "Twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight…"

QAI's pulsating eye suddenly appeared on her screen: "Countdown aborted due to interference."

The interruption was so unexpected that Dostya gasped and even Doctor Brackman was taken aback: "State the reason immediately."

"Multiple quantum wakes detected," said QAI while zooming in on the island where Black Sun was located: "The landing site at the north eastern end of Niihau can no longer be used for the next twenty minutes. The quantum wake has a Cybran signature."

Dostya's fingers flew over the console in a blur and typed the necessary queries to identify the pilot. Her eyes widened when she realized who it was: "Redfog, you bastard!"

Back on Earth, the six Cybran ACUs went through the process of establishing their bases. The leader of the Assumpta Node smiled under his mask as he looked at Black Sun's distant shape: "I will not be denied… The Earth will burn." 

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 9 **

**The Trump Card **

"Carmack, move!" cried Desjar urgently. The other pilot shook his head stubbornly and kept making repairs to the artillery turret: "My personal shields are still operational and we need this turret if we're going to…"

Carmack never got the chance to finish his sentence as the combined shots of two Aeon battleships hit him at the same time. The impact destroyed the turret and sent his SCU flying into the wreckage of what had once been a shield generator. Warning signals flared through the cockpit, indicating that his personal shields were gone. Carmack tried to maneuver his SCU back up, but excessive damage to his stability compensators made the war machine slip over and over again.

A string of curses escaped the pilot as he struggled with the controls. His complaints died as the head of a Galactic Colossus slowly emerged from the water ahead of him. The combined firepower of three Fatboys immediately pummeled the enemy unit, but the pilot could only watch in horror as the behemoth kept moving forward.

The monster's expressionless eye suddenly turned towards Carmack and a shrill scream filled the air. The pilot closed his eyes, offering his last thoughts to his family and friends. The mechanical scream stopped, indicating that the weapon was about to fire, but an explosion alerted Carmack that something had happened. He opened his eyes and saw that the Galactic Colossus' head had exploded. The behemoth shook a moment, but did not drop. Instead, it raised one of its arms and aimed it at him, fully intent to tractor the SCU and crush it in a single blow. A ball of energy caught the arm before it could activate its weapon and blew it apart.

That last attack combined with the Fatboys' continuous beating finally proved too much and the giant fell to its knees. Carmack was about sigh in relief when the Galactic Colossus went critical, sending waves of destructive energy straight at him. The wall of fire flew around his SCU but did not touch it and it was only then that Carmack noticed the energy shield that protected him. The pilot looked to his left and saw Desjar's ACU standing near him with one arm stretched towards the enemy wreck: "The next time that I tell you to move, just do it ok?"

Desjar moved towards Carmack, hooked one of his arms under the SCU and helped it get back up. Carmack nodded in gratitude: "Yes, sir. Sorry about that, sir."

The Major general wiped the sweat from his brow and spoke to his entire squad: "Flinn, help Carmack make repairs to his SCU. Koster, I want that Aeon experimental recycled and used to create a big wave of broadswords and air superiority fighters. Good job keeping those submarines in check, Weisman. If you have a few engineers to spare in the meantime, I'd appreciate it." 

Desjar was about to give more orders when Samantha's face appeared on his monitor: "Major General Desjar, we have a crisis. We need immediate reinforcements to the island of Niihau."

A quick maneuver with his air superiority fighters allowed Desjar to take out a Czar which had strayed too far away from the Aeon's main forces. He looked at the cloud of units on the horizon and frowned: "That's some rotten timing, General. I'd appreciate it if Aiko could keep her own beach clear since…"

President Riley's face appeared before Desjar could finish his sentence: "Cybran forces have gated directly to the island of Niihau and we don't know how they managed to get the codes to bypass our security grid. They used the wreckage of a failed Aeon attack wave to quickly establish a base. Captain Aiko and two other commanders are fighting them, but they have made no progress in uprooting them. Send them additional forces. That's an order."

Desjar cursed under his breath and looked at all the forces that were available to them. A crazy plan formed in his mind just then and he hailed the pilot that might actually pull it off: "Tim, take two Fatboys, one Atlantis and head along the ocean's floor. We'll try to thin out the Aeon on this side in the meantime and when you're in range, we'll send all our air units to cover you. You still got that advanced tactical missile launcher upgrade on hand?"

Tim's face appeared on Desjar's monitor and nodded: "Yes, sir."

"That's good," said Desjar while nodding at himself: "You might have to target it manually if the Cybran is cloaked. If all goes well, you'll sneak up on the bastard before he even knows what hit him."

**XXXXX**

Arnold took a steadying breath and looked at his left screen which displayed his allies' faces. There were a total of five pilots there, including Marxon. The Avatar-of-War had insisted that they keep an open channel and while the other Aeon pilots found it comforting, Arnold had difficulty tolerating it. Not only was Marxon studying the planetary war with utter detachment, but he was also studying the pilots under him. He was most likely looking for signs of hesitation… or betrayal.

Now was not the time to think about this and Arnold quickly focused on his tactical screen. The six of them were waiting nearly thirty kilometers south of the coast of Niihau. At first, Arnold had been surprised to find that not only had the Avatar-of-War joined the front line, but that he had asked Arnold to follow him. Their combined army consisted of several destroyers, cruisers, submarines, and a large division of hovering units which included mobile shield generators. They had reached that spot nearly two hours ago and had waited ever since. 

Arnold was still wondering what they were supposed to do when the Avatar suddenly nodded: "There, the Cybrans have made their move. All units advance towards the following coordinates, Marxon out."

All the faces nodded on Arnold's left screen and his tactical screen was quickly updated. The coordinates were targeting a small island to the south east of Niihau which was most likely defended by a single UEF pilot. Somehow, the Cybrans had managed despite all odds to establish a base on the north end of Niihau and their presence would be the perfect distraction for Marxon's invasion. But how could the Avatar have possibly known that this would happen?

Arnold gave it some further thought while using the many lessons that the Princess had taught him and nodded in understanding. The Cybrans would have never come to Earth without some kind of a plan to assault Black Sun. They had purposely waited for the Aeon to launch their assault before jumping into the fray and Marxon had based his own invasion on it. The Avatar had predicted every enemy move thus far.

Cold sweat formed on Arnold's forehead when he realized how many steps ahead the Avatar always seemed to be. If he could predict a planetary battle of such a scale then could he already know everything that was going through Arnold's head?

**XXXXX**

Samantha watched as Captain Aiko sent her troops forward. Her land forces were quickly decimated and she had to pull her Fatboy back when its shields collapsed. The young commander shook her head in frustration: "Damn it, I don't need this! Aeon forces are coming in from the south. It's almost as if they had been waiting for this!"

The tactical screen zoomed out and Samantha cursed under her breath. The timing was too perfect, almost as if Cybran and Aeon forces had teamed up against them. The commander guarding the south eastern island fell in an instant and the Aeon quickly took control of it. Samantha opened another channel to Desjar and spoke to both pilots simultaneously: "Desjar, how long until you're ready?"

Desjar's face appeared on her monitor and nodded fiercely: "Tim is almost in range, but we'll need another two minutes to thin out the Aeon air forces in our sector. After that, we'll be ready."

Samantha nodded and turned to Aiko: "You heard him, Commander. Pull back your forces and let the Cybran think that you're losing ground. Once the sneak attack is completed, I'll want both you and Tim to target the Aeon and…"

An Earthcom tactical officer appeared on Samantha's screen and interrupted her: "Sir, we are intercepting a transmission between Aeon forces on Niihau. It's not encrypted which suggests a damaged ACU." 

This was their chance of getting some critical information and Samantha nodded without thinking: "Put it through."

Another face appeared on Samantha's screen and she was momentarily taken aback by how old it was. There was no denying the fire in his eyes or the conviction with which he spoke: "We will attack as soon as our base is established. Commander Zachary Arnold, what is your estimation of Niihau's defensive potential?"

Samantha gasped and tried to reach for the controls, but it was too late. Arnold's face appeared on her screen and Desjar's eyes widened immediately: "The Fatboys will be the biggest problem. I suggest that we not only focus on destroying them, but also make sure that the wreckage cannot be recovered. If we…"

The General finally managed to cut off the transmission, but judging by Desjar's face, it was already too late.

**XXXXX**

Arnold was alive…

Desjar stood frozen at his controls as the thought looped over and over through his head. The rational part of his mind finally understood why Riley had reassigned him to Kauai. The President had not been worried about his squad; he had been worried that Desjar would turn on them just like Arnold. That realization made him feel betrayed, but that feeling paled in comparison to the turmoil caused by the simple fact that Arnold was alive.

He had loved him like a brother, had made him part of his family and had grieved over his death. Yet in the end, when everything was at stake, he had turned on them. Arnold was leading the charge that would destroy Black Sun, crush the UEF and kill everyone that they had fought to protect. Desjar could have handled Riley and Samantha's lack of trust, but he could not bring himself to face Arnold.

"Commander Desjar…," said Samantha urgently, trying to snap him back to attention: "Commander respond. Commander!"

Samantha's cries were frantic, but Desjar's mind could barely register them. He did not even react when his air superiority fighters were destroyed due to his inattention. Did this war even have any meaning anymore? What was the point of so many deaths?

**XXXXX**

A frown crossed Arnold's features as a warning flashed on his screen: "Avatar, your last transmission was not encrypted. Is there a problem with your ACU?" 

Arnold tried to slip some genuine concern in his voice, but if it had any effect then Marxon did not show it as he answered: "No. This was done on purpose and it seems that my plan has worked."

Marxon's ACU gestured towards Black Sun: "The UEF is maneuvering as if to counter an attack made by one of its own. What's more, it appears that your presence on the battlefield has destroyed the morale of the troops on Kauai. Congratulations Arnold, it appears as though you are a valuable asset after all."

A cold shiver ran down Arnold's spine and he brought up what little information he could on the battle of Kauai. There were few people that Arnold liked and fewer still that would be affected by whether he lived or died. He finally managed to access a visual of an ACU there and his heart sank when he realized that it was Desjar's squad. A flood of memories came surging forth at that realization and Arnold found himself mouthing 'I'm sorry'.

Arnold looked at his tactical screen but quickly realized that the time to play his hand had yet to come. The Avatar's base was now fully operational, but there were no weakness to be exploited just yet. He would have to wait and bide his time if he was to stop Black Sun and the Avatar-of-War.

**XXXXX**

Marxon's eyes narrowed as he looked at Arnold's face on his left screen. He would let him think that the opportunity to attack would be a bit further away. By the time that Arnold realized that there were no weaknesses to exploit, it would already be too late. His only choice would be to fall in line or die.

A light suddenly flashed on Marxon's console and he frowned at the recognition code. It was outdated, but his system had registered it because of its high priority. There was something else that was wrong with it as well: it belonged to Evaluator Toth. Of all the people in the galaxy, there could only be one who would have the nerve to use it.

The Avatar-of-War disabled his audio link to the other pilots before opening a channel. Redfog's face appeared on his screen and the assassin smiled under his mask: "I told you that I would be waiting for you."

Marxon raised an eyebrow, practically feeling the abomination's mixture of anger and glee. His fingers moved gracefully, issuing orders to all available units without slowing down: "Your kind will fall as will anything that stands in our way. There is nothing that you can do to stop us."

One of Marxon's commanders had just sent a group of scouts towards Black Sun, but those were intercepted and destroyed by a wave of stealth Gemini fighters. The assassin smiled under his mask again: "Perhaps not, but if you try to ignore me then I might just delay you long enough for the UEF to finish Black Sun and fire." 

Marxon looked at the abomination without feeling any emotion: "Then your fate is to die on this planet."

Redfog's chuckle actually surprised the Avatar: "It won't be the first time…"

**XXXXX**

The Cybran SCU walked along the beach, looked down at the wreckage of a Titan and kicked it for good measures. Bagby then spat in the corner of his cockpit: "Stupid Redfog and his stupid buddies doing… stupid stuff! I'm so mad that I can't even think of a good pun!"

The pilot turned his war machine around and saw that his boys were nearly finished helping the Tip of the Spear upgrade his ACU. The old man scratched his grey beard as he spoke: "Hey bucket head, do you have any brilliant ideas? I like the beaches of Mexico as much as the next guy, but we're not doing much good here. Also, I hate to break it to you, but mixing a microwave laser generator with a resource allocation system and a tech upgrade is not a very good idea."

The last upgrade was completed as soon as Bagby finished speaking and the other SCUs moved away to let the Commander pass. The mysterious pilot opened a channel and answered the question as he made his way towards the newly built quantum gate nexus: "Don't worry; we had a backup plan just in case something like this ever happened. I'm transferring you guys to Kazuo's army and I expect you to help him when I'm gone. Try to stop the wave of Aeon reinforcements towards the Hawaiian Islands."

"Whoa, hold it right there, jolly hamster!" said Bagby while raising a hand to stop him: "You can't use the quantum gate with a fully upgraded ACU. Your energy signature will be too high!"

Bagby was about to add more when the other pilot cut him off: "If I was trying to go to another world then yeah, it would be suicide. I'm just trying to close the gap between me and Black Sun so I'll be ok. We just don't have the time to fly over there all the way from Mexico."

"So you'll try to tackle Black Sun alone without a cloaking device or an army?" asked Bagby incredulously: "You're crazier than I am and for your information, that's really, really bad!"

The ACU paused at the gate and turned around for a second: "Don't worry, I'm the powered up energy bunny from hell, remember?"

For one of the rare times in his life, it was Bagby's turn to frown in confusion. His eyes only lit up when the ACU stepped through the portal: "Holy crap, bucket head is… I mean he's the same… and he just…" 

The other three SCUs went to Bagby's side and reflexively ducked when the rest of the base automatically self-destructed. Bagby was grinning all the way to his ears when the fireworks finally died down: "… Have fun, kid!"

**XXXXX**

A brilliant flash split the sky and an ACU dropped shortly afterwards. It plunged feet first into the water, sinking like a stone and crashing over a hundred meters later on the sea floor. The war machine struggled back to its feet and looked around. The Tip of the Spear smiled under his helmet, his sensors confirming that he had landed exactly where he was supposed to. Surrounding him where tons of precious minerals, all packed up in small containers.

Doctor Brackman and QAI had spent the last two centuries preparing this last, desperate plan in secret. They had used the gate network during periods of high distortion to send packages of precious minerals to different locations on Earth. There were roughly twelve secret caches in different spots and this was the closest to Black Sun. The ACU immediately went to work, alternating between recovering the mass deposits and building the experimental weapon that had been a closely kept secret since the beginning of the war.

**XXXXX**

Rhiza waited as her transport refueled once more and looked at her tactical screen. So far the plan was working, but she could only pray that it would continue to do so. If not then the Princess' Champion would not even reach Earth. Thinking about the plan forced Rhiza to remember what had happened on Eridani and it saddened her. She had betrayed Ariel and had joined forces with the Champion against her former friend. The battle had been a vicious one and in the end, they had won.

Deep down, Rhiza knew that her sadness was a selfish thing. She mourned for her lost friend and yet there was no denying that Ariel had been like a beast in the end. She had not been fighting for The Way but in the Avatar's name. There was nothing wrong with having feelings and personal attachments, but one could not use those to justify genocide. The worst part was that deep down, Rhiza had always known that something was wrong with the Aeon Illuminate and she had done nothing to stop it.

Fortunately for them, while Ariel had no doubt transmitted the Champion's betrayal to Marxon, she had not managed to do the same about Rhiza. This had allowed Rhiza and six other pilots that had been touched by the Princess' plea to gate to Earth as if they were part of Marxon's forces. Their task: to reach the Hawaii Islands and establish a base for the Champion to gate to Earth. Only then would the Princess make a public statement and attempt to stop the Infinite War. 

Rhiza zoomed out her tactical map so that she had a clear view of her current course. She and the other pilots had gated to San Francisco as part of the assault force. The sight there had been heartbreaking. Rhiza had cleansed colonies before, but the war on Earth was something else entirely. She understood why the Princess was so afraid that The Way would be lost if this massacre continued.

UEF or Cybran colonies were shielded, protected by automated turrets and filled with emergency bunkers. Cleansing those once the enemy ACU was defeated was not that much different from destroying weak enemy units. It was even possible to forget that they were civilians. Earth's cities, however, had never been touched by the Infinite War and had grown to near absurd proportions. It was almost impossible for an ACU to even move within a city without crushing civilians and the Avatar-of-War had given specific orders: to cleanse San Francisco and establish a supply base. Although the battle had only raged for six hours so far, Rhiza could safely estimate that at least fifty million people across the world had died during that time. This was just too much…

The face of another pilot appeared on Rhiza's monitor: "There are only two other checkpoints before we reach the Hawaiian Islands. Are you ready?"

Rhiza nodded in determination. The Aeon Illuminate's initial attack had targeted all continents, but had paid special attention to the Western coast of America, Australia and the eastern coast of Asia. The objective was a simple one: by controlling those points, they could establish a supply line and ferry troops all the way to the Hawaiian Islands. Gating directly there would have been suicidal and as such they had been forced to launch multiple fleets with aircraft carriers to refuel ferrying transports.

The Avatar's plan was to concentrate all of their forces on the other islands while he led the attack against Black Sun. That way, the UEF would not be able to reinforce its position and the experimental weapon would fall in a matter of hours. Normally, Rhiza and the six other pilots would be sent to attack the island of Kauai. They would follow the Avatar's orders up to that point, but would break off as soon as they reached their destination. Their plan: to attack Niihau, establish a small base and allow the Princess' Champion to gate in. Only then would they stand a chance.

"Incoming!" cried another pilot suddenly.

Rhiza's eyes widened in shock as a dozen stealth Gemini fighters came swooping in and launched a volley of missiles. It caught one of the transports carrying an ACU and blew it up in a split second. The enemy fighters were destroyed a moment later by Rhiza's escort, but it was already too late to save the other pilot. She had already fallen into the sea and in this region, the depths would crush the ACU as soon as it dropped under five hundred meters. Rhiza closed her eyes and offered a silent prayer to her fallen comrade.

**XXXXX**

Riley slapped both hands on the table in front of him and looked at the situation. He had known that getting Desjar anywhere near Black Sun had been a mistake! Even now the Major General was completely frozen, unable to cope with something as simple as betrayal. A true soldier should be prepared for anything. At least Tim was still willing to fight to save humanity, but the situation did not look good.

"General Clarke," barked the President while turning towards his side screen: "What are the odds that the Major will tip the balance back in our favor on Niihau?"

Samantha frowned on his screen and looked at her data. Both Samantha and Riley were operating from different command centers. That way if one of them was taken out then the UEF could still function. Naturally, Riley's command center had more ACU pilots to defend it.

"It's very unlikely, sir," reported Samantha somberly: "Without a base of his own, Major Tural will not be able to amass an army. The entire plan depended on a major air strike from Kauai. Without that strike, the Major's Fatboys will not even manage to make it on the beach. The symbionts are also narrowing down the list of potential Cybran pilots. We don't have a positive identification, but his skill level suggests that he is one of their best. There is something else sir…"

The President noticed Samantha's hesitation and leaned forward: "Speak up, there's no time to waste."

"Our symbionts have also analyzed the Aeon's movements," said Samantha with a wince: "There is a high probability that Commander Arnold is not the one in charge of those forces."

Riley waved the notion away: "Irrelevant. That traitor might have learned a few new moves while he was sleeping with the enemy. Arnold was good, but he was hardly the best. If he's in command or if someone in command is taking advice from him then the Aeon forces are less of a threat than the Cybrans. We still need to regain control of Niihau however… Who is Desjar's second in command?"

The question made Samantha wince: "That would be Major Weisman, sir."

Riley nodded while straightening: "Good, patch him through."

The President had to wait a few second before the pilot's surprised face appeared on his monitor: "Mister President?"

There was no time to waste on pleasantries and Riley went straight to the point: "How quickly can you build enough transports in order for you and the other members of your squad to make a massive air drop?" 

The pilot's eyes widened in shock: "Sir, we can't leave Kauai! If we do then the Aeon will be able to gate directly to the island and their supply lines will shorten dramatically. Major General Desjar's forces have also been unresponsive and we can't…"

"Leave him," ordered Riley harshly.

The simple order hit the pilot like a blow, but Riley kept talking as if nothing had happened: "The fate of humanity is at stake here, Major. I want you to build the necessary transports to make a massive air drop. If Commander Desjar has not recovered by that time then you are ordered to leave him behind and reinforce the island of Niihau. That's an order." 

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 10 **

**The Lesser of Two Evils **

"Bagby, we have an incoming wing of Aeon fighters," said Kazuo, his fingers flaring over his console: "It looks as if my last attack caught their attention."

Kazuo turned around, but Bagby's SCU was still sitting by the beach. The Jade Node pilot grew worried and stepped closer: "Bagby?"

"I didn't get a heart attack if that's what's worrying you," said Bagby with a snort: "It's just… bah! He did it to me again!"

Kazuo reassigned a few engineers to build additional anti-air turrets and looked at his tactical screen anxiously: "Um… Bagby? I mean no disrespect, but I would appreciate it if you would free yourself of your emotional burden and get back to the fight."

The old pilot sighed and looked at the ceiling of his cockpit: "The Tip of the Spear is Brackman's clone. I trained him once and he has the same face, twisted brain and enigmatic mindset. I bet that he started wearing that helmet as soon as his features became too recognizable."

Kazuo blinked, raised an eyebrow and then shook his head while smiling: "You already tried that one. There's no way that anyone would believe something that crazy."

Bagby sighed loudly before getting his SCU back on its feet: "That's the problem with spouting crazy stuff all the time. Even when it's the truth, no one believes me."

**XXXXX**

Riley let a few seconds pass, watching the waves of consternation move through the pilot's face. He then stood straighter: "Did you hear what I said, Major Weisman?"

"Yes, sir," answered Weisman after several seconds.

"Good," said the President, thinking the matter settled: "Give us an estimate of the time that you need to build your transports. We need to coordinate your attack with Captain Aiko's forces."

Riley zoomed out his tactical map to get a broad view of the planetary war even as Weisman answered: "No, sir."

Everyone in the tactical room - aside from the symbionts - paused. The President's eyes flared as he turned his head slowly back towards the Major: "That was a direct order."

Weisman flinched for a second, but then shook his head: "And we're refusing it, sir. We will not leave Commander Desjar behind." 

Riley slapped a fist against his console and took the most severe tone that he could muster: "If Black Sun falls then we all die. The Earth and everything that the UEF stands for will be destroyed. Your efforts on Kauai will be a waste no matter how many enemy commanders that you manage to kill. If you value the lives of your friends and family then you will make this sacrifice and follow my orders!"

He had expected the pilot to comply by mentioning his family, but Weisman squared his shoulders instead: "I want to see my family again, but I also want to be able to look them in the eyes when I do! It was Major General Desjar's involvement that allowed me to save them and I'll burn in hell before I turn my back on him! He saved all our lives numerous times and taught us to work as a team. If he falls, we fall."

Riley gritted his teeth and tried to open a link to another pilot on Kauai, but none of them would answer his hails: "I hope that you realize that this is mutiny!"

Weisman smiled, reassured that the rest of the squad would follow his lead: "If we still have a home when this is over then we'll gladly face the music."

**XXXXX**

Hundreds of Aeon units fanned out, filling the sky and the sea as sunlight reflected on their smooth hulls. The Cybran army waited on the horizon, their shapes hidden by the fumes produced by a forest fire. Everything stood still for a few seconds, an artificial calm that could best be described as a warrior's salute. The moment of peace ended abruptly as both armies crashed against each other.

Arnold had reviewed most of Marxon's battles while under Toth's tutelage and all of those paled in comparison to the ferocity that played out in front of him. The Avatar-of-War's army rushed, feigned, scouted, fell back, closed rank or scattered so gracefully that it almost seemed as if it was alive. Arnold considered himself a very good ACU pilot and had defeated numerous Aeon and Cybran commanders in the past. Despite those achievements, he knew that he would not have managed to stop such an attack.

The most horrifying part, however, was that the Cybran commander had not only managed to hold on but was striking back just as ferociously. While Marxon's movements could best be described as a warrior's dance, the Cybran attacked like a vicious beast. Units kept appearing and disappearing so quickly on Arnold's screen that he could no longer tell where the main enemy army truly was. The enemy Commander kept using stealth fields to mask his numbers while moving with dizzying speed.

Arnold looked at the fifty or so units that were under his command and considered his options. Marxon had ordered the commanders that were under him to hold back for a very simple reason: the island that they were on was simply too small to support more than one commander. The fact that a large body of water separated them from the 

Cybran base made it nearly impossible for them to steadily move forward or reclaim fallen units.

Under normal circumstances, Arnold would have been looking for a way to tip the scale in their favor. The Avatar was not truly his ally, however, and one thought kept looping over and over in his head: this might be his only chance to stop him. After watching the military display for several minutes, Arnold had reached the conclusion that he could not possibly defeat Marxon in a fair fight. That and it was very unlikely that the war leader would allow him to build a base without first controlling the larger part of the local resources. But what would happen if he turned on Marxon now?

If he did nothing and things kept going as they were, Marxon and the Cybran would be locked in this conflict for a very long time with neither being able to assault Black Sun. If the battle lasted too long then it was possible that the UEF would complete the experimental weapon and fire it, most likely destroying more than half the galaxy until both factions surrendered. There was also the risk that Marxon found some way to sneak through the UEF's defense and strike at Black Sun directly. If that happened then the Aeon would be free to take their time and cleanse the universe. That thought process lead Arnold to a single conclusion: this was the right time to strike!

There was no doubt in Arnold's mind that he would die in the process. If he managed to take out the Avatar's power grid before he fell, however, then it would leave an opening large enough for the Cybran to deal a lethal blow. Doing so did not mean that the Cybran would automatically win either since there would still be plenty of Aeon commanders left to fight and it could potentially give the Princess the opportunity that she needed to rally all commanders under her banner.

Arnold's ACU took a single step towards the power generators, but the pilot froze when he felt the Avatar's gaze turn on him. Marxon had not restored their audio link, but the video feed had remained all that time. His eyes showed no mercy, anger or fury… but a promise of death was etched in them. He knew… Marxon knew exactly what Arnold was about to do.

The 'how' was not nearly as important as the 'why'. More specifically, if Marxon knew then why was he not doing anything about it? The answer hit Arnold as the memory of mocking voice rang through his mind: "Oh, you will."

Ariel had said those words when Arnold had promised to make amends for his past transgressions. It was not the words so much as the tone that she had used. It had been a cruel and vicious one, almost as if she had already stabbed him in the back and was eagerly waiting for him to realize it and die. But how could this even be possible unless…

Arnold's eyes widened and he gazed at his console in alarm: the ACU's self-destruction mechanism. He did not know exactly how that thought occurred to him, but he knew without a doubt that he had guessed it correctly. The Avatar was not alarmed by the 

possibility of betrayal because he could kill Arnold with a touch of a button. If Arnold even tried to attack the Avatar then his ACU would be forced to self-destruct. The explosion might cause some damage, but nothing that would cripple the base. Marxon would most likely recycle his ACU a moment later to cope for the loss of resources.

A chill ran through Arnold's spine as he looked back to the Avatar. Marxon had always been five steps ahead of him and had played him like a puppet without uttering a single lie. Toth had been right: he never even stood a chance of defeating him.

**XXXXX**

Marxon's gaze shifted back to his tactical screen, satisfied that Arnold had learned his place. There were no doubts that Toth's teachings had made Arnold into a better warrior by giving him the ability to sense an opponent's motives. However, the pilot clearly had not learned to hide his own emotions which made him even easier to read.

An exploding battleship on the horizon reminded the Avatar that this was not the case with the Cybran pilot. Marxon had fought in many wars and few enemy commanders had ever stood against him for very long. Each had his weakness: slow movements, inability to micro manage, resource shortcomings, weaknesses against different types of units or psychological limitations. Even the best pilot could do a mistake if you struck at what he was trying to protect.

The abomination that called itself Redfog had none of those limitations. He fought with a level of precision that suggested a cold and calculating mind and yet his movements betrayed a pool of anger and fury that seemed limitless. Marxon had not witnessed such an unnatural combination in any other opponent. He had few doubts that he would eventually learn to anticipate the assassin's movements, but as much as he hated to admit it, doing so would take time. It was a luxury that he could not afford.

Marxon looked at the five pilots under him and at their associated armies which totaled nearly two hundred units. He had used them to overwhelm the UEF commander on this island, but had kept them out of the battle with the Cybran. Each pilot – even Arnold – was a war veteran, but that meant little without the resources to maintain a steady flow of units. If their armies were destroyed then not only would they not be replaced but there was a risk that the wreckage would fall in Redfog's hands. The units that they controlled were numerous, but Marxon had ordered them to focus on speed instead of firepower.

The Avatar-of-War was still considering his options when a light flashed on his console, indicating that Arnold was trying to hail him. Marxon was about to dismiss it when he noticed that the other pilot's face on his screen. These were not the eyes of a man preparing to backstab someone, but rather those of one ready to win. Marxon pondered this for a moment longer before opening the audio channel: "Yes?"

"Let me lead the others on the main island," said Arnold urgently: "We will build a firebase just south of the Cybran army and hold our position there." 

Marxon kept controlling his units while answering: "That type of attack is neither graceful nor efficient. It is…"

"It is a UEF attack pattern," interrupted Arnold quickly: "The commander that is currently defending Black Sun will recognize it and take advantage of it. The firebase will act as a barrier and allow the UEF's Fatboys to creep in range. I know Riley and if the opportunity appears then he won't hesitate to take it. The UEF has much to gain from taking control of the entire island."

The Avatar-of-War frowned, both at the impolite interruption and at the underlining suggestion: "The Fatboys will turn on you as soon as the Cybran commander is killed. I do not relish the prospect of losing my reserve units in such a fashion."

Arnold shook his head stubbornly: "Which concept is worse: fighting a newly gated UEF commander or keep fighting that Cybran?"

The question was crude and violated a dozen rules of etiquette, but it still hit its mark. Marxon studied Arnold intently, looking for signs of betrayal or of a suicidal tendency but found none. For all appearances, it seemed as though Arnold preferred to find a way to stop Black Sun than to kill the Avatar. Marxon pondered the suggestion for a moment longer before opening a channel to the other pilots: "This is Marxon to all units, follow Commander Arnold's lead.

**XXXXX**

Arnold gritted his teeth as the transport took a hold of his ACU: Marxon was out of his league, but Black Sun was not. He would do his part to destroy the experimental weapon and pray that the Princess had the means to stop the Avatar-of-War. The other pilots' forces – mostly hovering land units and a few cruisers – were already moving ahead of them. Now was the time to strike.

The transport took off in a hurry under Arnold's control and plotted a course towards the main island. He half expected the Avatar and the other pilots to let him rush on his own, but everyone followed his lead. Air superiority fighters initially moved into flanking positions but quickly broke off to engage other enemy units. A stray missile hit Arnold's transport, but he immediately compensated for the damage.

Arnold was barely seventy meters off the coast when he spotted a wing of Gemini fighters heading straight for him. His fingers flew over the controls, forcing the transport through a quick drop in altitude before dropping him into the water. The ACU sank like a stone but landed gracefully when it reached the sea floor, its servo motors automatically compensating for the sudden impact. A minute later, Arnold stepped on the beach and rushed towards the target site: "Go, go, go!" 

The other pilots were already there, setting up the first line of shield generators, anti-air turrets and point defense systems. Arnold ran inside the energy field and went to work as well, building a point defense turret with the few resources that Marxon had allotted to them: "Come on Riley… you know you want to do it…"

**XXXXX**

Riley took two pain killers and swallowed them before anyone noticed. He then focused on the tactical screen again and tried to find a way to salvage the situation. He had already talked to the scientists, but they still needed between thirty and sixty minutes to bring Black Sun online. An hour with only two commanders left on Niihau… he had to improve those odds.

One of the analysts suddenly pointed towards the command center's mains screen: "Mister President, the Aeon forces are going on a major offensive against the Cybrans!"

Riley's frown transformed into a mocking smile. It did not matter what their analysts suggested: this move had 'Arnold' written all over it. The fool was clearly expecting the UEF forces to back him up against a common foe.

"Commander Aiko, send your Fatboys with the appropriate escort in a classical support pattern," ordered Riley with a vicious smile: "The Cybran units are the priority. General Clarke, have your symbionts analyze the fighting pattern of those Aeon ACUs and find me the one that is most likely piloted by Arnold. Once the Cybran falls, I want every unit in the area to focus fire on it. We will kill all our enemies with a single strike."

Weisman rebuilt a shield generator and looked to the approaching wave of enemy units: "Desjar, if you don't intend to fight then please transfer your economic output and units over to us. We could really use them!"

Desjar still looked like a zombie on Weisman's screen, but his hands moved slowly and soon Weisman's resource output nearly doubled. The Major smiled wickedly and opened a channel to the other squad members: "Ok boys! We have a huge wing of transports coming our way but no matter what, we hold!"

All the other pilots acknowledged and Weisman nodded nervously, unused to the feeling of having the fate of all humanity resting on his shoulders. Somehow, those speeches always seemed better when it was Desjar making them, especially when their position was so badly compromised: "Prepare to die, you monsters!"

Weisman's cry died in his throat when the Aeon transports paused in midair, turned and flew to the west; avoiding Kauai entirely. Weisman frowned in complete puzzlement, unable to comprehend what had just happened. 

Flinn's relieved face appeared on his monitor: "Well, that was easy."

The cheerful boast snapped Weisman back to reality: "Everyone make repairs and get our economy back on its feet. They gave us a break and we need to make every second count!"

His squad members acknowledged again, but Weisman turned a worried glance to the west. The Aeon supply lines would have shrunk considerably if they had captured Kauai. So why had that attack wave broken off at the last possible moment?

Redfog growled in defiance, pulling his bombers back to make repairs before sending them out again. He could have destroyed the Aeon's firebase or the UEF's Fatboys, but not both at the same time! The Avatar-of-War was interfering as well, using his fighters and navy to keep Redfog sealed in his base. His shields were holding for now, but it would only be a matter of time before they failed. Cybran stealth technology would lose much of its effectiveness if he could no longer maneuver around the battlefield.

The leader of the Assumpta Node turned towards the three other pilots who were still in his base and pointed at two of them: "Neutralize part of that blockade, no matter the cost."

The two pilots nodded and activated their cloaking fields before moving off. Redfog turned towards the remaining pilot and nodded: "You know what your role is…."

A light flashed on Redfog's screen, indicating that more Aeon units were coming in from the north. Unlike those currently attacking him, those were on a direct course for the UEF base on the island north west of Niihau.

**XXXXX**

Marxon sent his air superiority fighters to intercept a wing of gunships and watched as the Cybran army was progressively forced back into its base. It would only take a few more minutes to breach the defensive perimeter and then the abomination would fall. The Avatar looked back towards Arnold's position and raised an eyebrow. The plan was working and despite his lack of grace, Arnold's determination was commendable.

Maybe it was worth the effort to integrate him fully into the Aeon military once Black Sun was destroyed. Marxon would have to find some way to properly secure his loyalty of course. Maybe he would put him in charge of a squad and allow him the luxury of converting those he deemed worthy in the sector of his choice. The Avatar was not an unreasonable man after all and would be willing to make some accommodations if it meant ending the Infinite War a little quicker. 

Marxon's thoughts were interrupted when he noticed a large Aeon air drop make its way towards the island north of Niihau. He immediately tracked the pilot's course and found that those troops had originally been intended to support the battle on Kauai. Not even the most foolish commander would have disobeyed the Avatar's orders especially if it meant intruding on his theatre of operation. Marxon found his answer by accessing the pilots' names. One in particular stood out: Crusader Rhiza.

She had been assigned under Ariel when she had been killed on Eridani. This led him to a single logical conclusion: she had turned on him and these troops were obeying Princess Rhianne's orders.

Marxon felt the sudden urge to send everything he had to crush the traitors, but held back. He still had a few precious minutes where the Aeon forces all appeared to be fighting on the same side and he had to make full use of them. Instead he recalled part of his air force to make repairs, leaving an opening for the Cybran to exploit.

**XXXXX**

Rhiza's SCU landed on the beach, its shields absorbing the point defense fire from the UEF's turrets: "For the Princess!"

Four dozen transports landed near her, dropping Harbingers, mobile artillery and flak units. The other commanders dropped in the water behind their troops and came rushing in a second later. Only one ACU made an air drop north of the island, staying away from the fight and using its advanced resource allocation upgrade to power the shields and overcharged shots of its companions.

The impressive force charged forward, using the element of surprise to destroy shields and turrets before the UEF commander could recall his forces from the island of Niihau. Rhiza crushed a tank under her foot and smiled in triumph, convinced that they would take over the island in record time. Once that was done, they would rebuild the base and launch an attack to capture Black Sun. That hope was crushed as the frantic cries of the pilot that had been left behind reached them: "I am under attack!"

Rhiza turned around and gasped when she saw Cybran torpedo bombers attack the ACU that had been hiding under water. How could the Cybran commander react so fast or pass through the Avatar's lines so easily? The answer became obvious a second later: Marxon had allowed the air units to pass.

The combined firepower of a dozen torpedo bombers destroyed the helpless ACU in less than twenty seconds. When that happened, their capability to fire overcharged shots disappeared and the shields of every Aeon pilot on the island collapsed, leaving them exposed to enemy fire. Rhiza felt a hot tear slide down her cheek as other pilots died around her.

**XXXXX**

Arnold backed up reflexively as the shell from a gauss cannon hit the shield in front of him. The energy field flickered once before disappearing, but the generator was encased in another layer. Even though Arnold knew that the redundant layers of protection would prove sufficient to stop the assault, he still found it oddly disconcerting to be facing a pair of Fatboys. Only their rear turrets which had no angle on the Cybran base were focusing on them and Arnold did not relish the prospect of becoming the real target later.

So far his plan was working and the combined attack was tearing down the Cybrans' defenses. Even now, Arnold saw another Cybran shield generator exploding, leaving an artillery turret defenseless. Something tugged at his subconscious, however, and he focused on the turret while counting in his head. He knew that something was wrong when it did not fire after twenty seconds. Why would the Cybrans hold fire unless…

"We have an incoming!" cried Arnold suddenly.

A swarm of mantises rushed out of the Cybran base just as Arnold spoke and one of the other pilots nodded: "I see them."

"It's what we don't see that's worrying me!" warned Arnold insistently: "Cybran artillery is notoriously inaccurate. The only reason that they would hold fire is if…"

A huge explosion to Arnold's left interrupted him as a Fatboy suddenly erupted in a ball of flames. He knew without a doubt that a Cybran ACU had snuck in and destroyed the experimental weapon with a single overcharged shot. Arnold wanted to shout for someone to do something about it, but the Avatar was already moving and a trio of strategic bombers dropped their payload in the area. Marxon's guess proved true and a nuclear explosion lit up the area a second later.

Arnold was about to heave a sigh of relief when he suddenly felt a vibration move through the ground. He turned around just in time to see a gigantic spidery leg burst out of the water. Arnold had never seen such a monstrous weapon before and it looked like some kind of odd construct from an old movie. There was no mistaking the destruction potential behind the huge laser that adorned its back, however, and Arnold rushed towards the beach, intent on destroying it before it had the chance to fire.

The shrill sound of a laser powering up caught Arnold's attention, but fortunately the experimental weapon's laser was not pointed at him. He pressed the button as soon as he was in range and watched as the overcharged shot raced towards the abomination. Arnold's smile disappeared as the ball of energy collided with a cloaked Cybran ACU and dissipated while causing negligible damage. The enemy unit had been purposely waiting under the giant spider, ready to intercept anyone bold enough to rush it. The assassin rushed Arnold and the two of them fell in a tangle as the experimental weapon charged the rear of the Aeon's firebase.

**XXXXX**

"Impressive… but that is not your real objective, is it?" whispered Marxon softly.

The Avatar's eyes narrowed as he sent bombers to deal with the monstrous weapon. There was no denying the threat to his forces, but the Avatar still had the presence of mind to send spy planes to circle his island. Sure enough, he found a pair of cloaked Cybran ACUs crawling along the sea floor towards the rear of his base.

He immediately dispatched his submarines and torpedo bombers to take care of them. One was destroyed quickly afterwards and the other was welcomed by a barrage of fire from the nearby point defense turrets as soon as it stepped on the beach. Marxon did not even flinch as the nuclear explosion lit the sky and instead focused on the rest of the battle.

Arnold had survived by rushing the Cybran ACU, grabbing it and dragging the fight under water. The move was crude but clever enough and had allowed him to dodge the monkeylord's microwave laser. The other Aeon pilots had not been so lucky, caught between what was left of the UEF's forces and the spider bot. Two ACUs had already fallen to the microwave laser while the remaining two pilots fought for their lives. Marxon opened a channel to them before it was too late: "Transfer your units to Commander Arnold. You will live on in The Way."

The remaining two pilots acknowledged the order and transferred the units as the Monkeylord closed in on them.

**XXXXX**

Rhiza moved her SCU to build another anti-air turret and shuddered. Only one ACU had survived the attack once their shields had been disabled and even then, it would not be for much longer. The other pilot was named Gila and her energy core had been breached in the assault. No amount of repairs could fix it in time and the core would reach critical levels in the next minute. She would only be there long enough to transfer her remaining units to the champion that was about to gate in.

"Is there anything that I can do?" asked Rhiza, her eyes reflecting her grief.

Gila shook her head, apparently resigned to her fate: "Steel your heart and wait until the battle is over to tell the Champion of our fate. She does not need to be distracted by our losses… not until this is all over at any rate."

Rhiza acknowledged and watched as the other pilot started walking into the water. She did not move when the Princess' champion appeared a few seconds later and only closed her eyes when an explosion shook the sea. 

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 11 **

**Finding a Way **

"Damn it, get off my back!" growled Arnold angrily. He hurled his ACU backward, slamming the Cybran pilot against a rock formation. Had the two of them been fighting on dry land then the blow would have probably been enough to shake him off. Underwater battles, even if they were only fifty meters below the surface, slowed most physical attacks to the point where it was impossible to cause any significant damage.

For one of the first time since he'd join the Aeon Illuminate, Arnold found himself missing his old UEF ACU. The war machine did not have half the grace of the Aeon version, but he could have used its bulky frame effectively in such a situation. Arnold gritted his teeth and twisted around; trying to untangle himself. The enemy pilot remained one step ahead of him, letting go of his back and catching a swinging limb between his arm and a shoulder spike. The assassin then positioned his legs around Arnold's mid-section to prevent any further movement.

The move was so unexpected that Arnold remained frozen for two seconds while trying to make sense of it. He understood what was happening when warning indicators flashed, detecting an increased pressure in his ACU's servo motors. The enemy pilot was trying to tear his arm off!

For some reason, Arnold had always thought that those spikes were purely ornamental, but now he understood that they opened possibilities in desperate situations. He had never heard of an instance where an ACU had actually managed to physically tear an arm off another, but he was not exactly eager to find out. Arnold was about to attempt a maneuver that would take advantage of his ACU's flexibility when he felt something tug at him from the behind: "What…"

Arnold's ACU was pulled backward before he could say another word, wrenching him away from the Cybran and out of the water in a heartbeat. The sudden acceleration stole Arnold's breath and he watched in amazement as the Aeon transport that had him flew away without any explanation. He understood why a second later when a dozen torpedo bombers swooped in, dropping their payloads and destroying the Cybran in a single pass. The nuclear explosion shook the transport, but the timing had been so perfect that it suffered no damage and gracefully lowered Arnold back on Niihau a moment later.

"Congratulations Arnold, your plan worked," congratulated Marxon. The Avatar's words caught Arnold by surprise and he looked around the battlefield frantically. The other Aeon pilots had been killed, but the Cybran experimental weapon and the UEF Fatboys had been destroyed by Marxon's strategic bombers. Most importantly, they were still in control of the battlefield which meant that all the mass from the wreckage belonged to them. Marxon nodded on his screen before speaking: "Reclaim everything and maintain your position. It's time to end this war once and for all."

**XXXXX**

Rhianne stood anxiously over her console as she monitored the battle. She watched from the relative safety of her secret retreat on Blue Sky, but no corner of the galaxy would be safe if they failed this day. That was the reason that she dared to keep an open channel with her Champion: "I believe in you."

It came as no surprise when the Avatar's face appeared a moment later: "So, the Princess' lackey has arrived. I will kill you myself."

The man's presence was terrible to behold, but the Princess stood straight, determined to oppose him. She opened a channel through her Champion's ACU, ready to do what she could: "Your days are at an end, Marxon. Your fate was sealed the moment you killed Toth."

If Marxon was surprised at the sudden interruption, he did not show it: "That old hag earned her fate. And you shall soon follow her."

The Princess nodded towards her champion who opened a channel on all Aeon frequencies: "Attention all Aeon Commanders: This is Princess Rhianne Burke. Avatar Marxon is a traitor. You may engage him at will."

**XXXXX**

A surge of elation ran through Arnold and he did his best to hide it. It felt good to see the Princess again, even under those circumstances. For an instant, it occurred to him that his happiness might be something more personal than he'd like to admit, but now was not the time to worry about that. The Princess was making her stand and hopefully there would be other Aeon Commanders who would flock to her cause.

In the meantime, however, he had to do everything that he could to get rid of the Cybran and Black Sun. Once that was done then maybe, just maybe, a group of Aeon Commanders would finally be able to take Marxon down.

**XXXXX**

The Tip of the Spear waited deep below the water, just outside radar range of Niihau. His newly built army included two new types of units that Doctor Brackman had developed. The first was the improved version of the tier three sonar platforms which included a complete stealth field generator. This small yet powerful piece of equipment had allowed him to build his army in secret and to move within reasonable distance of his target while avoiding Aeon and UEF forces. The unit had been withheld from the rest of the Cybran Nation thus far to maintain its secrecy.

The second type of unit was a recently perfected experimental model that had never been deployed on the battlefield up until now: the Soul Ripper. Its design was crude but effective and its purpose was the total dominance over land targets even in areas which 

included moderate anti-air capabilities. The hidden cache of resources had allowed him to build two Soul Rippers, the sonar platform, a naval factory, a group of submarines, some engineers and an aircraft carrier. The carrier had been built to take advantage of the ACU's resource allocation system and was even now producing the air units that would be required to assault the main island. The naval factory itself had been quickly reclaimed afterwards to mask all signs of its existence.

The army was almost ready, but the Tip of the Spear still held back, certain that the time to strike had yet to come. Carefully deployed spy planes had allowed him to glimpse at the ongoing battle without anyone noticing him. He had gone so far as to scramble their signatures so that even if they were detected, they would register as Redfog's units. What little information that he had gathered suggested that the leader of the Assumpta Node was cornered and assaulted by both Aeon armies.

At first, the Tip of the Spear had been inclined to send all of his forces and team up with the assassin despite his earlier betrayal. Without a base of his own, however, it would do little good in the long run and he doubted that he could overtake any enemy base in a single strike. That and it appeared as though the Aeon Illuminate was not as united as it first appeared.

The unnamed pilot tapped the side of his helmet in consternation and then went to work, attempting to hack through the local transmissions in order to find the perfect moment to strike. An unexpected warning signal appeared on his screen a second later and the pilot tapped a few keys before dismissing it. One of his spy planes had momentarily spotted another energy signature east of Niihau. Logs indicated that the sector was often the source of underwater volcanic activity in the region, however, and as such it could also have been a fluke.

The Tip of the Spear could not afford to be too curious and sent his spy plane on a course that Redfog would have most likely taken. Had the plane made one more pass, it would have detected a UEF ACU with its three experimental weapons which were also waiting for the right time to strike.

**XXXXX**

The Cybran army lashed out on all sides in a desperate attempt to regain some ground. It fought the Princess' champion for control of her resources, the UEF for control of Black Sun and the Avatar for its very survival. Each unit that was lost was quickly reclaimed to fuel the construction of its replacement, creating a quick cycle of death and rebirth. Marxon watched the display for a moment, intrigued by the pilot's will to survive and yet coming closer and closer to finding his breaking point. Striking the military units would accomplish little; he needed to strike at what was left of the man.

With that in mind, the Avatar-of-War did something that he never had to do before: he hailed an enemy. He typed the same recognition codes that the Cybran had used to contact him and was quickly rewarded with the Cybran's furious face on his monitor. 

Marxon did not say a single thing or even offer a nod. Instead he used the local engineers to start building a galactic colossus, tapping into the mass reserves that he had accumulated by reclaiming the destroyed Monkeylord and Fatboys. The behemoth's crude form was quickly shaped and then grew, rising to block out the very sun.

Marxon had purposely reset his main monitor to a simple view screen and as the giant grew, the Avatar's face became incased in shadows. The process was repeated twice more and the Avatar still did not speak, confident that he and the Cybran did not need words to understand each other. It was only when the dreadful weapons were finally completed that the Avatar looked at the Cybran straight in the eyes and a shadow of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

He then deliberately turned away and laid in a course, heading towards the water. The Cybran's eyes narrowed dangerously when he realized that the Avatar was not heading towards him, but towards Black Sun: "Don't you dare ignore me…"

Marxon ignored the threat, his ACU walking into the water with its newly built division. The assassin grew agitated, realizing that he was being side tracked entirely. If Black Sun was destroyed then the Avatar would not even need to stay around to fight him! His hands went into a fierce blur, recalling every air unit at his disposal and launching them at Marxon's position: "I will not be denied!"

The Avatar reacted as well, taking control of all air units that had been purposely waiting in Arnold's firebase and launching them through the newly opened hole in the enemy base's defenses.

Expendable interceptors flew in first, moving in a shifting pattern to draw enemy fire. The spy planes followed, scanning the area furiously and searching for the only target that truly mattered in this war. They found the cloaked Cybran ACU waiting under a shield and the strategic bombers that were trailing them changed course accordingly. Half of them were destroyed as they passed over the Cybran base and the spy planes had already flown too far ahead, losing track of the cloaked ACU in the process. Marxon ignored those unimportant details and ordered his bombers to attack the ground at the last known coordinates.

The Cybran pilot was rocked back and forth on Marxon's screen while screaming defiantly: "No, I won't be defeated…"

The communication was cut shortly afterwards and a nuclear explosion lit the sky where the bombers had dropped their payloads. A few seconds later, what was left of the Cybran army self-destructed. Marxon kept moving ahead, recalling the larger part of his army to him and sending the necessary orders for Arnold to do the same. He did spare one last look north, his face perfectly neutral as he spoke: "I told you that your fate was to die on Earth. You were barely even a challenge…"

**XXXXX**

"That's one enemy down," said Riley while clenching a first in front of him: "Captain Aiko, send your reserve troops towards the destroyed Cybran base. We have three commanders gating in forty seconds. We need to secure that site!"

Riley leaned forward over his console while smiling, confident that things were about to take a turn for the better. Black Sun was roughly fifteen minutes away from completion and this war would be over the moment that they fired it. Soon the Aeon Illuminate and the Cybran Nation would understand the UEF's might!

The President's smile vanished when the dozen transports that had been sneaking around the island were ambushed by Aeon air superiority fighters. Aiko' escorting fighters automatically responded, but the damage was already done.

The Aeon forces were working on two fronts, assaulting Black Sun's control center and heading for the experimental weapon at the same time. The Captain's forces were quickly being overwhelmed and it showed on the pilot's face: "This is Captain Aiko to any UEF forces in the area! An Aeon Commander is advancing on Black Sun. I need any and all help that can be provided. Aiko out."

Riley shook his head in denial and looked at the Cybran base as the three UEF ACUs gated in. If even one of them survived for a few minutes then it would be enough to mount a counter offensive or serve as a distraction at least. The President's hopes were quickly crushed as bombers appeared a few seconds later and began their merciless attack. It had taken them forever to destroy a single Cybran, but three UEF commanders fell in less than a minute.

Meanwhile, Aiko looked around in panic: "The Aeon Commander is still advancing. I can't stop him! It's like he knows everything I'm going to do. I need help here!"

The President looked back at the screen and watched the fluid and graceful troop movements slice through Aiko's forces. The patterns were almost hypnotic and this was the first time that their sensors actually covered their full extent. One thing was absolutely clear now: Arnold was not piloting those forces.

"Somebody help me!" cried Aiko desperately: "I've lost most of my forces… Black Sun is vulnerable. I need help!"

Riley closed his eyes, unwilling to accept that over a decade of hard work was about to topple like a house of cards. His weapon, his nation, his planet… everything was coming to an end.

"I can't… no!" cried Aiko, her transmission breaking up. The President did not open his eyes, refusing to acknowledge all the impacts behind Aiko's death.

**XXXXX**

The Avatar-of-War stood in front of Black Sun, his ACU appearing insignificant compared to the massive experimental weapon. A lesser man might have felt overwhelmed by the scale of what it represented: a weapon capable of destroying entire worlds. Marxon was not such a person and he knew that it was not the weapons that he was facing, but the ones wielding them.

In the case of Black Sun, his opponent had been President Riley despite the fact that the man had not even been on the battlefield. Marxon respected him in the same fashion that he respected any other foe. It took a high level of determination and cunning to be able to produce such a massive weapon while standing on a foundation of lies and deceit. Of course, like all of Marxon's foes, Riley would be destroyed as well.

The Avatar wanted nothing more than to disassemble Black Sun and use its components to fuel an unstoppable wave of experimental units, but for one of the rare times in his life, he hesitated. Not out of any concerns for the lives that he would crush; he had taken millions after all. What made him pause were the Princess' words and the chain of events that they had begun.

She had directly and publicly opposed him, driving a wedge in the middle of the Aeon Illuminate. Although it barely showed, Marxon could already tell that most of their war efforts on Earth had been compromised with their combat efficiency dropping by five or ten percent per sector. It would only get worse once all enemies were defeated as each commander chose their side and if Marxon did nothing then things would erupt into civil war. This would cost them the one thing that could prove disastrous: time.

Even if the opposition was a passive one, the Aeon military would no longer be able to continue its campaign as efficiently. This would give the remaining UEF and Cybran forces the time that they needed to think of something and perhaps even form an alliance. The Princess had not realized that by opposing him, she had doomed all of humanity to remain trapped in the Infinite War. Her idealism and refusal to accept the military situation would only prolong the inevitable.

Marxon looked at Black Sun again and his eyes narrowed. The Infinite War would continue unless he put a stop to it right here and now. Destroying Black Sun… was no longer an option. Only by using it would the Infinite War ever end. The Avatar opened his audio channel to Arnold again: "Commander, align your forces with mine. Our new target is Black Sun's control center."

**XXXXX**

Arnold's eyes widened when he heard the order. This was not possible! Marxon wanted to use Black Sun to destroy the UEF and the Cybran Nation? If he managed that then nothing would stop him and he would be free to devote all of his attention to deal with the Princess and the commanders that followed her. Arnold had switched sides in the 

hope of finding a way to stop the massacre of the UEF and the Aeon Illuminate. Instead, he had participated in the devastation of both!

The ACU lowered its arms as Arnold fully realized the impact of his actions. He could still oppose Marxon, but what would that change? This was the Avatar-of-War, the man who had crushed everyone that had ever stood against him! If he showed any sign of rebellion then the Avatar would activate his self-destruct mechanism and kill him without a second thought.

Arnold knew that the Princess' Champion was a good pilot, but she could not possibly stand against such a monster alone, not from that strategic position at any rate. Her starting island was too small and Black Sun's control center was too close to the Avatar's base. She could not possibly stop the incoming assault.

Despair hung around Arnold as the Avatar aligned his troops for the final push. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, which he could do to stop this massacre. He had failed and now everyone that he had ever known would pay the price if they had not done so already. The Princess, her Champion, Toth, Rhiza, Desjar, Tim, Jessy, Melissa as well as billions of innocents across the galaxy would die. What could he do if he could not even fight back?

Arnold took a deep breath while searching his memory for everything that he knew from dirty tactic to the lessons that the Princess had taught him. Thinking of those lessons brought a pang of sadness, but he knew deep down that Rhianne would forgive him. The same could not be said about Desjar since his old friend would most likely die without ever knowing the truth. Arnold looked east reflexively as he thought about his friend and tried to reach out in apology.

To his surprise, every unit stopped moving just then and it seemed as if even the waves stood still. Arnold briefly wondered if the Avatar had just reconsidered his course when the sea started to shrink as if the islands of Niihau and Kauai were somehow being drawn together. He looked down at his instruments to see if his life support had failed and when he looked back up, the two islands were now side by side and an ACU stood in front of him… Desjar's ACU.

Its arms were cast down as well and it seemed as if the war machine had not participated in the recent battle. Arnold's eyes softened, understanding that he was hallucinating and yet that it somehow felt right: "I wish that we could be together again, old friend. If only the two of us could be fighting side by side one last time… instead of this."

Arnold knew that even the two of them would most likely not be enough to stop the Avatar-of-War. It would take a miracle for them to win… heck, it would take everyone to stop this war. The thought rang like a clear bell through Arnold's mind and he reflexively grabbed his controls. The Aeon ACU straightened in response and it seemed to Arnold as if Desjar's ACU was awakening as well. He had his answer… 

A blink of an eye was all that was required for everything to snap back into place and Arnold was staring once more at the vast expanse of water that separated him from his friend. He knew what he had to do.

**XXXXX**

Desjar still sat frozen at his controls, unable to cope with the reality of the situation. His squad moved frantically around him, trying to remain organized while fighting off one legion of Aeon troops after the other. Something blinked on his console, indicating an incoming call and his system recognized the private codes. The screen to Desjar's left automatically lit up, displaying Arnold's face.

A gasp escaped Desjar as he looked at his old friend. It felt strange to see him clean shaven and well groomed, but the most startling change was his eyes. They reflected an inner peace that the man had never enjoyed before. Arnold smiled softly before speaking: "You're not giving up on me now, are you lube boy?

The simple statement hit Desjar like a splash of cold water and he straightened in shock, unable to guess whether it was the old Arnold speaking or merely a cruel taunt. Arnold did not elaborate any further, but instead opened another channel. The face of a beautiful woman appeared on his screen and from the looks of it, she was not aware of the communication's link with Desjar. Arnold spoke, his voice strong and self-assured: "The UEF Commander is dead. I have Black Sun, Princess. What are your orders?"

Desjar was about to shout in protest, but another furious face appeared on his screen and beat him to it. He had never seen that pilot before, but it appeared as though he was important: "You dare betray me?"

"I have never served you, Marxon," shot Arnold back without an ounce of hesitation: "The Princess is the one who set me free, showed me the UEF lies. She has always commanded me."

What did it mean? What was going on? What had Arnold really been fighting over? Those questions spun through Desjar's mind in quick succession as Marxon spoke: "I always control the self-destruct codes for my subordinates, Arnold. Goodbye."

Desjar reached towards the screen, his movements mirroring the Princess who cried: "No!"

There was no denying the genuine care and horror on her features. Arnold looked back at her, his gaze both peaceful and caring: "You showed me the light, Princess. For that I am grateful –"

The transmission broke down in an instant and Desjar knew without a doubt that Arnold's ACU had just self-destructed. There was no possibility of surviving that one. 

Strangely enough, the Princess was still transmitting on the same frequency as if she had not noticed the change: "Champion, destroy Marxon!"

Her horror had transformed into something that Desjar could only describe as righteous fury. She had cared for Arnold and he had returned those feelings, that much was certain. Desjar did not know why the thought occurred to him, but he knew now that Arnold had not changed. Somehow, he had believed that fighting for her was the right thing.

Desjar's fingers flew over his controls, accessing an old satellite that was in orbit. Its sensors could only relay the most basic of information, but he could tell that Arnold's ACU had exploded near Black Sun. This could mean only one thing: Marxon had the installation, but the Princess was in charge of the control center. What's more, she had not fired the weapon…

That fact supported Desjar's gut feeling and his fingers moved in a blur, assigning orders to his squad members and retaking control of his facilities: "Everyone listen up, we haven't lost just yet!" 

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 12 **

**Unity **

Arnold's army self-destructed; lighting the battlefield as over two hundred units exploded at the same time. One harbinger's leg flew through the air towards Marxon's ACU, but the war machine raised its arms reflexively, blocking it as if it meant nothing. The Avatar-of-War barely seemed to notice it, his hands moving gracefully over his console as he assigned new orders to his engineers.

The destruction of so many units had just cost him a third of all of his forces, but it was a minor setback. The army had exploded near Black Sun which meant that all of that mass was ready to be reclaimed and reused. Even now, mechanical engineers moved around at a frantic pace, reclaiming UEF and Aeon wreckage alike and laying the foundation for a new base in record time.

Marxon doubted that the Princess' champion could hold up against him with her current army, but now was not the time to take foolish chances. He had waited over two decades for this day; he could wait a few minutes longer.

Once all orders were transmitted, Marxon spared a moment to take a look at the war effort on Kauai. He had assigned his most trusted commanders to lead the assault and they should have been able to take it over by now. If that was the case then maybe he could factor in some additional reinforcements.

The last time that Marxon had glanced at Kauai, the UEF forces stationed there had been standing on the edge of disaster. To his surprise, it appeared as though they had not only recovered, but were actively fighting back. His logs clearly indicated that no quantum signatures had been detected which meant that no UEF reinforcements had been dispatched. Marxon also trusted his lieutenants to fight with all their might no matter what the Princess had said… so what had changed?

The Avatar-of-War snorted and returned his full attention to his predicament. It would take him roughly seven minutes for his base to become fully operational. When that happened, the Infinite War would end.

**XXXXX**

The Galactic Colossus' head emerged near the beach with three full wings of air superiority fighters circling above it. The gauss cannons of a nearby Fatboy immediately pounded it while the experimental weapon platform moved away, but that was the last of the Galactic Colossus' worries. A pair of Atlantis submarines suddenly surfaced behind it; saturating the air with their SAM launchers and forcing the air superiority fighters to withdraw.

The behemoth hesitated for an instant as if the one commanding it questioned the safety of losing its air cover and slowly turned around, intent on destroying the submarines 

before they could do any more damage. The submarines stopped firing and initiated an emergency dive as the Galactic Colossus fired its laser. One of them had its air factory damaged, but remained fully operational.

The giant was ordered to turn again, but four strategic bombers came out just then, dropping their payload on its shoulder. The resulting explosion sent it tumbling forward and forced it too deeply in the water where the Atlantis submarines had been waiting. Angler torpedoes crashed in the monstrosity's legs, preventing it from recovering its balance and sending it stumbling on all four. Soon, the combined firepower of all units in the area proved too much and the Galactic Colossus exploded.

The Aeon air superiority fighters were on their way back to destroy the UEF strategic bombers, but they were ambushed as the pair of Atlantis resurfaced. The victory was a major one, but it did not stop there. Mechanical engineers followed an instant later to reclaim the wreckage and fuel the next wave of UEF units.

Desjar's squad cheered, firmly convinced that they could do the impossible and hold Kauai with their leader back amongst them. The Major General dispatched orders as quickly as he could and opened a channel as soon as the situation stabilized: "Tim, do you read me? Tim?"

The Major's face appeared on Desjar's monitor and the older commander sighed in relief: "I'm glad you're all right, Tim. Listen up because we don't have any time to debate about this. I want you to plot a course straight for Black Sun's control center with everything that you've got! Once there, I want you to exchanged friend or foe recognition protocols with that Aeon pilot and fight alongside her."

The Major's eyes widened in disbelief, but Desjar pressed on: "We can't take back Niihau alone and those Aeon forces are fighting each other. So do it because she has not fired Black Sun, because Arnold trusted her, because it's our only option left or because it might be the only way to save the Earth. When you were in the academy, you were told that you would have to make tough choices one of these days and this is one of those times."

Desjar was interrupted as Riley's face appeared on his monitor: "Belay that order, Major! Commander Desjar and the members of his squad are traitors and this proves it! You will maintain your position and await further instructions. We are formulating a plan and if we can…"

This time, it was Desjar's turn to interrupt Riley: "And do it to piss Riley off if you have to! You weren't picked to be Arnold's partner on a whim, but because you were the only one that could keep up with him. You complete the Kilimer exam not by following the rules, but by making your own! This is the end, Tim. It's time to stand on your own two feet and decide for yourself what it will take to win this war!"

**XXXXX**

Riley's hands gripped the edge of his console tightly as if his strength of will alone would force the Major's ACU to stand their ground. A moment passed and then the blue dots on his screen started moving west towards Niihau. The President took another pair of pain killers from the hidden compartment on his belt and swallowed them. He then turned towards Samantha: "Have another trio of Commanders ready to launch. If there's ever an opening then I want them to gate over there in an instant. Their orders will be to destroy every unit on the island and recover Black Sun."

Samantha frowned: "Sir, you mean every enemy unit?"

"You heard me the first time, General," spat Riley back.

**XXXXX**

Marxon's ACU stood in the middle of the newly built base with a pair of Galactic Colossus standing watch near him. He looked around at the array of defenses that surrounded him and smiled triumphantly: overlapping shield, tactical missile defenses, artillery, point defense, anti-air and multiple factories.

The fleet that he had used to attack Black Sun had been reinforced with even more ships and it had just reached the west end of Niihau. It stood ready to strike at the Champion's main base just as Marxon's ground troops were ready to assault the control center. This fight would be over in a matter of minutes and the Avatar-of-War would settle for nothing less than absolute victory.

A signal appeared on Marxon's tactical screen and the older man snorted. The signature was undoubtedly UEF in nature and it was on a direct course for Black Sun's control center. No doubt this was Riley's last and desperate effort to win the war. The Avatar sent a trio of spy planes north and quickly assessed the Champion's incomplete defenses. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed that the Aeon ACU was amongst them, working furiously to add as many shields and turrets as possible.

The Champion would most likely stop the UEF assault, but it would only take the tiniest amount of pressure to ensure that both forces wiped each other out. With that in mind, Marxon selected a third of his Harbingers and sent them towards Black Sun's control center. He then hailed the Princess through her Champion while raising his head proudly: "This is the end, Princess."

She stood tall, but it was obvious by the look in her eyes that she was afraid. The Avatar kept talking, wanting her to fully understand how much she had erred: "I have told you before: You are not of a military mind. Had you offered me your full support then we could have avoided this. Together we could have destroyed Black Sun and cleansed the galaxy, stopping only when all of our enemies would have offered their unconditional surrender. Billions would have died, but quite a few could have been saved." 

The Avatar's eyes darkened: "But now you forced my hand. Soon Black Sun will be mine and I will use it to purge the galaxy. Only the Aeon will remain."

A pair of UEF Fatboys appeared on the beach just as Marxon's Harbingers rushed the control center's defenses. The Avatar nodded one last time, his eyes uncompromising: "Goodbye, Champion."

The Harbingers surged ahead and the Fatboys fired, but the gauss cannon shells surged past the control center's defenses and hit Marxon's force. The Avatar's eyes widened in disbelief as the face of a young UEF Commander appeared on his screen, transmitting through a non-encrypted channel: "This is Major Tural; I'm transmitting my friend or foe recognition codes. Please acknowledge!"

The Aeon's point defense turrets quickly finished off the harbingers and were about to turn towards the Fatboys but stopped. The Champion's face appeared, also transmitting on a public channel: "This is Kathy Istan, Champion of the Princess; I am transmitting friend or foe recognition codes as well. Thank you for your assistance."

How was such a thing even possible? The question slammed into Marxon as the Princess spoke: "You will never succeed, Marxon."

The Avatar-of-War sneered in contempt and launched his fleet towards the Champion's main island while reviewing all data at his disposition. He had not caught any hidden transmission from the Princess' Champion or from anything else in the area. The only signal that had been transmitted to the UEF had been Arnold's brief words to another Commander and those had been more of a taunt than anything else. Could they have been something more or perhaps a secret code?

Marxon dismissed the notion and returned to the situation at hand. His fleet was more than enough to crush that base. All he needed was to avoid its primary defenses on the south beach, move around it and attack it from the north. Once the Champion was cut off from her main resources then it would only be a matter of time before she fell.

A pair of airborne signals appeared near Marxon's fleet as it closed in. He initially dismissed those, thinking them to be strategic bombers at best. The Avatar was startled when a pair of Cybran experimental weapons the likes of which he had never seen hovered into view and started pounding his fleet. Stealth air superiority fighters followed a heartbeat later, assuring total air supremacy as the bug-like weapons chewed through his forces.

A Cybran appeared on his screen a moment later, his features hidden by a helmet: "This is the Tip of the Spear; I'm transmitting my friend or foe recognition codes as well."

"Impossible…" whispered Marxon as the other two pilots acknowledged. How could this happen? His eyes were immediately drawn to the wreckage of Arnold's ACU to his left. It still stood; a carbonized statue of an insignificant man. Could his defiance and 

subsequent death have possibly been the catalyst that had started all of this? The man had been a warrior, but spiritually, he had been nothing but a grotesque mockery of a human. How could he have foreseen this, a feat impossible for all but the most enlightened oracle?

**XXXXX**

The wave of mechanical engineers moved ahead of the Tip of the Spear, reconstructing Redfog's base by reassembling destroyed structures. The ACU stayed underwater near the edge of the beach, knowing better than to repeat the assassin's mistake. The pilot looked at his tactical screen and smirked under his helmet at the irony. Who would have thought that such an alliance would happen one day?

On a logical side, it made perfect sense and would most likely be the only chance that any of them would have to gain control of Black Sun. The Avatar-of-War was simply too strong to face alone, but they might be able to defeat him together. Did either of the two other pilots see it this way? Were they motivated by reason, self-preservation and logic or was there something more?

The UEF pilot had already been identified as Major Timmy Tural, the Commander who had successfully raided Minerva but had spared its civilian population. The Aeon pilot's name was still unknown to the Cybran intelligence network, but its ACU signature suggested that it was the one which had at first killed the civilian population on Zeta Canis, but had later spared an entire city on Procyon after becoming the Princess' Champion. They were two pilots who had displayed acts of mercy in a time when the Infinite War had required none.

Was it coincidence… or providence? Doctor Brackman had not opted to send his prized pupil instead of Redfog simply because of his skill. Indeed, the assassin's merciless methods were better suited for this war no matter how one looked at it. No, the Doctor had sent him because if they won, then it would fall to him to rebuild Earth and make it a better place. Only by working together could this ever truly happen.

Did the Tip of the Spear trust his newfound allies? No, but a small part of him – the part that had been carefully nurtured by his father – still dared to hope.

**XXXXX**

Rhiza's eyes widened as she reconfigured her tactical screen to take into account the unlikely alliance. Although they had more commanders on their side, a quick analysis suggested that their total economy was still far weaker than Marxon's. Everything would depend on whether they could fight as a team or not.

The Aeon Champion was the first one to speak: "Tip of the Spear, I am sending a group of mobile shield generators aboard a transport to your position to assure your safety. Can your stealth technology cover their signatures?" 

The Cybran nodded and sent a pair of transports out of his base: "Affirmative. I'm sending an engineer to both of your positions. They will build sonar stations equipped with advanced stealth fields. These will mask your true numbers. I'll need the two of you to open your sensor ports in order to link our network. Otherwise it won't work."

Tim winced but nodded: "I've salvaged some mass, but I'm low on energy. My Fatboys can cover the control center for now, but I'll need extra power if I want to manufacture units with them. I might be able to open my sensor ports, but my energy grid is on a completely different system. I don't think that I can open that one with either of your ACUs."

Kathy nodded and moved her ACU towards a nearby Fatboy: "I cannot open a compatible energy bridge with you either. However, I can build a quantum reactor next to your experimental weapon platform. If you can manufacture an engineer then you could capture it."

The quick exchange continued in front of Rhiza. The three commanders had set aside their differences for now and were aligning their forces to fight a common enemy. The only question was: would it be enough? That was a question that only they could answer, but Rhiza would do her best by defending the Champion's base with her life if need be.

**XXXXX**

The Avatar's fleet retreated, but not before losing twenty-five percent of its forces against the pair of Soul Rippers. The experimental weapons flew back to the Champion's smaller fleet, using allied cruisers to ensure their safety. Meanwhile, stealth Gemini fighters flew towards Niihau and refueled on the Fatboys. They then assumed a defensive patrol that would allow them to protect most of Niihau from air attacks.

The Champion's forces moved next, building a line of shields to protect the control center and assisting the UEF commander by building power generators and mass fabricators for his use. Once the Cybran's stealth field generators came online, she manufactured mobile shields generators and sent them over to protect them.

Finally, Tim focused on building the units that they would need to punch through the Avatar's army, supplementing their forces with Broadsword gunships and Titans. He even went a step further by producing frigates equipped with jamming fields which would confuse the enemy even further.

They barely had a few minutes to prepare before the Avatar's army attacked them. Air and land units moved in, dancing in a graceful and hypnotic pattern. Shells from incoming mobile artillery were blocked by the Champion's shields and the Fatboy's fired back instantly. Strategic bombers tried to home in by following the hail of bullets, but mobile stealth generators made it hard to locate the experimental weapon platform and 

Gemini fighters were quick to respond. The defensive line shuddered for a moment, but held against the Avatar's forces.

Enemy casualties increased as the Commanders learned how to operate as a team. Soon, the Avatar's forces were pushed away and forced to retreat back into their base, unable to breach the control center's defenses. Mechanized engineers were quick to follow, reclaiming the wreckage of enemy units and using it to restore their own forces. The Avatar sent two other attack waves and they too were defeated.

The allied forces managed to assemble a sizable army of their own and they were soon ready to strike back. The Princess' Champion looked to her recently built Galactic Colossus and then to the rest of their combined army which included over three hundred units: "Are you both ready to attack?"

The UEF Major and the Cybran Commander both nodded and their forces marched in unison. The Galactic Colossus led the charge, followed by their land forces and with the Fatboys covering the rear. Mobile shield and stealth generators moved between them all, neutralizing the effectiveness of enemy artillery. The soul rippers stayed back, ready to assist as soon as they were needed.

The armies clashed with a thunderous clap that resounded through the entire island. While the Avatar had failed to breach their defenses, the allied forces managed to pierce enemy shields and destroy the turrets underneath. Each step was a costly one, but the enemy's front line started to buckle.

The Princess' Champion grew concerned when her Galactic Colossus' structural integrity was down by half: "Should we fall back and regroup?"

The Tip of the Spear shook his head as numbers flashed in front of him: "The odds are that the enemy will fully recover before we assemble our next wave. I would advise pushing far enough so that we can destroy part of the base's economic facilities at least."

The Cybran pilot was about to say more, but the UEF Major jumped in his seat: "Enemy ACU detected, this is it!"

The Fatboys with the rest of the UEF forces led the charge. Instead of targeting the Aeon ACU, however, they aimed for the defensive structures that surrounded it. It seemed as though their current forces would not be enough to destroy the Avatar and the Princess' Champion was about to call off the attack when one of the Fatboy's fell. She looked at the UEF pilot and paused, wondering why he seemed so eager. She understood why when a missile flew above her a moment later, passing over the control center and heading straight for the Avatar.

She realized then that the Fatboys had been targeting the tactical missile defenses which meant that this was not just a simple missile. She averted her eyes when the nuclear warhead detonated where the Avatar-of-War had been. 

**XXXXX**

The Princess sighed in relief: Marxon had finally been defeated. She looked at her screen, but her smile vanished when she realized that the war still raged all over the Earth. The battle was over, but how would the Infinite War end?

**XXXXX**

The nuclear explosion brightened the sky, signaling an end to the epic struggle. The Galactic Colossus and its accompanying Fatboy stopped in order to avoid the worst of the explosion. A sigh of relief ran through all three pilots and under normal circumstances, cries of joy would have been in order. They were not truly allies, however, and such things were not meant to last.

None of them could truly figure out who moved first. Was it the Cybran out of precaution, the Aeon because of her allies' body language or the UEF out of old habits? It happened simultaneously: the remaining Fatboy's turrets targeted the damaged Galactic Colossus, the behemoth turned its deadly eye towards the weapon platform and the Soul Rippers hovered away from their anti-air escort and closer to the power generators in the Champion's base. Every unit on the battlefield scattered back into smaller groups and targeted each other.

The tension could be felt through the air as each pilot paused over their controls, wondering who would break the alliance first. For an instant, they had fought as one and had grown as close as anyone could through war. The fact remained, however, that each faction coveted Black Sun for its own purpose and no matter how they felt; the Infinite War would not end by just wishing it so.

Had their full attention not been caught by a mindset that had been born through a thousand years of war then they would have noticed that something was amiss. Had they not considered each other to be the next greatest threat then they would have immediately taken note of a crucial detail: the Avatar-of-War's army had yet to self-destruct…

All three pilots were shocked when a pair of phason lasers surged through the dust, catching the distracted Galactic Colossus in the back and quickly tearing it apart. The Fatboy tried to react, but a volley of tactical missiles collapsed its weakened shields and a second one destroyed it before it could fire back. The Soul Rippers plotted a course back towards the safety of the Champion's fleet, but air superiority fighters swarmed out of nowhere, destroying one and seriously damaging the other.

The dust finally settled over Marxon's base and it was only then that the Avatar's ACU could be seen. It stood like a specter of the past, a war machine which had been so badly damaged that one could no longer tell who's faction it belonged to. Only one thing truly mattered, the Avatar-of-War was still alive. A garbled transmission followed on every channel as the warped ACU stood straight once again: "Fools!" 

**XXXXX**

**Chapter 13 **

**So That Wars Can End **

The two Galactic Colossuses plowed ahead, melting or crushing what remained of the allied army. A swarm of Harbingers, mobile shield generators and anti-air units followed closely behind, moving elegantly back and forth as needed. Finally, two scores of engineers followed the army, reclaiming wreckage and rebuilding over destroyed structures.

Marxon's ACU stood unmoving and a barely perceptible blue flash soon indicated that its personal shields were back online. The Avatar's transmission cleared afterwards, revealing a ghastly sight. The left side of Marxon's face was covered with second degree burns and one of his eyes was nearly swollen shut. Blood also oozed from the corner of his mouth, but what was truly horrifying was the occasional silver drop that fell from the cockpit's ceiling. Although it was not shown in the transmission, anyone familiar with Aeon technology could easily recognize the ACU's liquid metal which was part of its regeneration system. A single active drop could melt through flesh, muscle and bone.

"Did you think that the likes of you could ever…" A growl escaped Marxon as another drop of liquid metal fell on his leg, dissolving a layer of muscles in an instant. Somehow, the pilot's hands still moved over his controls; "… Defeat me? Do you have any idea what I am? I am the Avatar-of-War; I have never been defeated!"

Marxon's troops reached the side of his base and marched on a direct course for Black Sun's control center. His fleet, now free from the Soul Rippers' interference and escorted by additional cruisers, sailed out once again and headed towards the Champion's main island base. The allied troops tried to marshal a defense once more, but numbers and the element of surprise were no longer on their side.

"You are all fools, thinking that your pitiful alliance had a chance to stand up against me," spat Marxon in contempt: "You are not allies, comrades or even friends! I knew that all it took for you to break apart was to give you the very thing that you wanted: the illusion of victory!"

The Avatar scowled fiercely as another drop of liquid metal fell on his leg, but he remained focused: "And now, this is the end!"

**XXXXX**

Riley stood over his console with shaking hands, looking at the limited amount of information that was relayed to him. There had been rumors that the Aeon Illuminate's war efforts had been directed by someone known as an Avatar-of-War, but he had never imagined that he could be so powerful. It was hard turn the tide against a single enemy Commander, never mind three. 

The President took a shaking breath and then nodded in determination. One of his hands went up and his fingers wrapped themselves around the chain that circled his neck. Tied to that chain was the UEF's last hope.

**XXXXX**

"Nuclear launch detected," came the sudden warning. Tim winced and did not even have to look at his screen to know the target: "That bastard must have had a nuclear submarine hidden all along! Unless I'm mistaken, the target is…"

The Tip of the Spear nodded and set a course away from his base: "It's me. I did not have the time or resources to set up a countermeasure. Projected infrastructure losses will imply a sixty percent diminished capacity. I won't be able to recover from that in time."

Tim nodded and turned back to Kathy: "The few structures that I have are at the control center and I doubt that you can hold off the Avatar for very long, Champion. Once he captures the control center, we'll all lose."

Despair clung around them all when the strategic missile destroyed a large section of the Cybran base. Kathy looked back to her main island base and at Marxon's fleet which was getting closer to it: "It will take all of my resources here to merely slow down the Avatar's land army. Once my main base falls, however, I won't be able to sustain the defensive line."

Rhiza's face appeared on their screen and nodded in determination: "Have faith, Champion. I will not allow myself to fall so easily. Apart, we might each fall, but if we all unite then we may find a way through this!"

The unlikely group of allies looked south at the approaching army and then went to work. Their odds of survival were almost insignificant, but none of them had survived this far by giving up.

**XXXXX**

Marxon snorted in derision, already two steps ahead of the unwieldy alliance. They were outclassed, out of time and outnumbered. Each pilot would soon realize that no matter how much they wanted to, they would not be capable of developing the necessary teamwork to turn the tide before the control center was lost. As such, their next move would be one born of desperation… the kind that could be easily countered if expected.

The crippled ACU flexed its legs, using the motion to make a self-diagnostic and ascertain how badly its movements would be impaired. The Avatar-of-War would be prepared for anything: "Let them come…" 

The pair of Galactic Colossuses plowed forward, clearing a path for the army that followed them. Marxon looked at his tactical screen and noticed that the Princess' Champion was busy adding more point defense turrets and shield generators, hoping against all odds to strengthen her defensive line enough so that she could stop the attack… how foolish.

The Avatar's fleet was closing in on the Champion's main island base and Marxon made a rough calculation, estimating his enemy's total power output. A hint of a smile appeared on his face despite the pain that coursed through his body: her resources were stretched a bit too thin.

It was a common attack pattern for an Aeon Commander to thoroughly destroy an enemy fleet before moving on to attack an enemy base. In this case, however, Marxon took a more aggressive approach by ordering his entire fleet to rush through the enemy ranks and target the island's power generators.

Marxon took a steadying breath, refusing to look at the now exposed bone of his leg and took control of his tactical missile launchers. He aimed and fired them in sequence, fully trusting in his abilities. His fleet brought the island's shields down and destroyed one of the power generators just as the missiles closed in. The sudden loss of power caused the Champion's shields to collapse for a split second.

One of the missiles caught the ACU straight in the back, sending it crashing against the point defense turret that it had been constructing. A second one blew up near its leg, twisting it at an awkward angle and causing the ACU to fall to its knees in a shower of metallic blood. The third one would have finished her off had the Champion not managed to stabilize her energy output by powering down a few of the shield generators in other sections of her base. The missile crashed against an energy shield as it powered up, but the damage was already done. The Champion was still alive, but her ACU would no longer even stand.

The Avatar-of-War smiled wickedly and sent his land army on a straight course towards the Champion. Units from all three pilots gathered to stand against him, but were scattered away by the pair of giants. The damaged Soul Ripper swooped in and tried to stop the invasion, but it only bought a few moments before it was destroyed. The Cybran's cloaking technology was useless against a Galactic Colossus' Omni sensor and there were no doubts that the UEF ACU would not have the necessary time to build another nuclear missile. Nothing could stop Marxon now.

A series of Cybran air units suddenly appeared far to the east of the Avatar's base and hovered there a moment. Marxon frowned at the maneuver, but took control of his ACU, fully expecting what was to come. There was a moment of stillness as they gathered closely together and then the swarm attacked. Aeon air superiority fighters met the charge, targeting the bombers first and destroying a dozen in an instant. The swarm kept moving on, flying over flak and SAM turrets on a direct course for the only target that 

mattered: Marxon's ACU. Their payloads found newly rebuilt energy shields, causing inconsequential fluctuations as the Avatar moved to the west.

The real danger did not come from the actual bombs, but from the units themselves. Bombers and interceptors did not keep flying in the hope of making another pass but, self-destructed in the sky. They fell around the area, their hulls too dense to be blocked by standard energy shields. The resulting explosions were usually considered negligible, but the state of Marxon's ACU meant that a single lucky hit could be enough. Even so, the crippled ACU moved, dancing back and forth despite its limited mobility and avoiding most of the impacts.

The unorthodox attack barely lasted twenty seconds and kept the Avatar on the move. When it was over, Marxon still stood and his army was mere moments away from completely overrunning Black Sun's control center. A contemptuous smile formed on the Avatar's lips.

**XXXXX**

Dostya's fingers moved in a blur over her console as she monitored the situation on Earth. She issued the necessary orders so that any attempt for enemy forces to send reinforcements to Niihau would be met with strict resistance, but there was only so much that they could do. If the Tip of the Spear fell then it would be all over and there would be nowhere left to hide.

The Elite Commander was in the process of checking on the situation in Australia when the Avatar-of-War spoke to his enemies: "An inspired bombing run, Cybran, but a futile one. The control center will fall and you will soon follow."

What was the Avatar talking about? A look towards one of the side screens was all that Dostya needed to confirm that the Tip of the Spear's air force was largely intact. Doctor Brackman moved next to her and raised an eyebrow: "What an interesting development, oh yes."

**XXXXX**

The phason laser from the Galactic Colossuses sliced through energy shields as if they were non-existent, opening the way for the army that followed. Even then, Marxon still took the time to assign the enemy ACU as the primary target and watched the experimental weapons close in on it with a predatory smile: "You should have joined me when you had the chance, but now it is too late! I will do the impossible; I will end the Infinite War!"

"You already did the impossible…" came the unbidden reply. The voice froze the Avatar-of-War in place. It did not belong to any of the three pilots that he had been fighting, but rather to a creature who was supposed to be dead. Redfog's face appeared, 

broadcasting on a public channel: "You united all three factions for a single purpose: to stop you."

There was a strange glimmer in the assassin's eyes, one that suggested that he had already made his move. But how was that possible? Marxon had complete control over Black Sun and its control center was mere seconds away from falling. He was the only one with a fully operational base and his Omni sensor was active so what could the monster hope to accomplish?

A high pitched shriek tore through the air, chilling the Avatar's blood and awakening something that he had not felt in over two decades: fear. The mangled Aeon ACU turned around to look at Black Sun and saw a large blurry shadow move away from the experimental weapon's frame. The assassin had been waiting there, using Black Sun's massive power signature to cloak his own. The wave of crashing interceptors and bombers had not been meant to damage Marxon, but rather to herd him into Redfog's grasp.

Fear transformed into anger and the Avatar's fingers flew over his controls, commanding every unit in the area to attack the Cybran: "No!"

The Cybran ACU came rushing towards the Avatar, ignoring the weapon fire from the nearby Harbingers. Its microwave laser flared once before unleashing a beam of crimson energy. The blast crashed against Marxon's personal shields and Redfog cried in triumph: "It's past time for me to go to hell, but you're coming with me! A pair of monsters like us will fit right in!"

Marxon looked at his instruments frantically as his sensors indicated that his personal shields would soon collapse. The Cybran ACU took hit after hit from the nearby Aeon units, but it was clear that the Assassin no longer cared. Redfog noticed Marxon's desperation and laughed mockingly even as his own warning indicators flared. This, beyond anything else, angered Marxon on such a primal level that he screamed in denial: "No!"

A nuclear explosion lit up the battlefield a second later.

**XXXXX**

Rhianne stood frozen at her console and only found the strength to exhale when the Avatar's army self-destructed a second later. The Avatar-of-War was gone, defeated by a creature that had been as inhuman as him. Niihau was peaceful once more, but such a thing was not meant to last.

Her Champion's base was the one which was the most serviceable, but there still remained a UEF and Cybran commander on the island. All three pilots had been allies, but Black Sun remained the only means of ending the war. The conflict would resume the moment that they recovered. 

Rhianne typed in the commands to prepare her capsule and spoke to her Champion: "It is almost over. I will join you shortly, my Champion. Then at last the Infinite War will end."

**XXXXX**

Riley let go of the chain around his neck and leaned over his console once more: "Our window of opportunity has appeared. Major, if you follow my instructions to the letter then I will grant you amnesty from your earlier insubordination. Now marshal your forces and prepare to…"

A startled gasp escaped Samantha and the General forwarded an image to Riley's screen: "Black Sun is preparing to fire… but it has been configured to transmit a data payload. What could that Aeon Champion possibly be thinking?"

Riley was about to say that this would be the perfect distraction, but Major Tural cut him off: "There's something hovering above Black Sun. I'm transmitting the image now."

A beautiful woman appeared on all of their screens. She was hovering between Black Sun and Earth's quantum gate. Silence filled the command headquarter as the weapon powered up. A beam of pure energy hit the woman in the back and a wave emanated from her. A gentle yet strong voice rang clearly through the mind of every human on the planet: "It is time for this to end. There will be peace. You and your children are free. We will hunt you no longer."

Black Sun's beam then surged forth, crossing into the quantum gate and delivering its message to the rest of the galaxy. The Experimental weapon then shuddered once before exploding.

**XXXXX**

Tears ran down Rhiza's eyes when she realized that the Princess was gone. She had given her life so that the Infinite War would end. It was the duty of her people to make sure that her sacrifice would not be in vain. Rhiza looked at the Champion on her screen and it was obvious by the look on her face that the shock had affected her most of all. Her head was titled to the side as if she was listening to some unseen speaker.

Under those circumstances, it was Rhiza's duty to carry things through and she opened a broad band channel: "This is Crusader Rhiza to all Aeon Commanders. The Infinite War is over. Disengage and avoid any further conflict. Let us honor the Princess' wishes."

**XXXXX**

Riley looked at his tactical screen in shock. Aeon, UEF and Cybran troops had stopped fighting all over the Earth the moment that Black Sun had fired. The President had heard 

the telepathic message like everyone else and he turned around to look at the staff behind him. He saw amazement, joy and even a glimmer of hope. They, like everyone in the galaxy, had taken the words to heart.

"Finally, the war is over," whispered Samantha. The words sent Riley's blood pumping frantically through his veins and he turned back to his console while tearing the chain from his neck. The motion startled Samantha and her eyes widened in horror when she realized what he was doing: "Mister President, don't!"

"The Infinite War is not over and you should know that better than anyone!" snarled Riley angrily: "Wars can never just stop; they can only be delayed to the advantage of others. This is just some kind of Aeon trick using alien technology in order to brainwash us, but we will not fall that easily! The Aeon Illuminate will soon learn not to underestimate the UEF's perseverance!"

Riley brought up the DNA encoded key that had been hanging at the end of the chain and inserted it into his console. Hundreds of dots appeared on his global tactical map and a timer indicated that the system would be ready in the next minute. Samantha shook her head stubbornly: "We don't have to do this! The Infinite War is over; we don't need to activate Option Zero!"

The President snorted and dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand. Old fashion nuclear weaponry had been part of the UEF's arsenal centuries ago, but had been phased out when interception technology had caught up with it. What was the point of investing several times the cost of an experimental unit in the construction of a missile which could be reliably blocked by a far cheaper defense? Such weapons of mass destruction had therefore been optimized over time, taking the shape of the well-known and more easily deployed strategic missile launcher. Option Zero was the exception to that rule. The UEF had stockpiled hundreds of high yield nuclear weapons on Earth for a single purpose: to destroy their enemies if nothing else could stop them.

"Option Zero is the only way for us to win the Infinite War!" shouted Riley angrily: "The vast majority of our enemies are on Earth and we can destroy them all in a single swoop! We will launch all of Earth's nuclear weapons at the same time and kill them all! We have enough forces stationed in other sectors to attack their core worlds afterwards and end the Infinite War in a few short months. We will prevail!"

The countdown was only thirty seconds away and Samantha pleaded her case one last time: "But billions would die on Earth! We don't need to do this!"

"Our underground tactical headquarters are well shielded, General," replied Riley with a sneer: "You might not realize this now, but doing this will save humanity! Stand tall and honor this sacrifice in the name of unity, justice and peace! Just think of all future generations who will look back to this day and at our unwavering dedication. Think of the…" 

A loud shock ran through Riley and something red splashed on his tactical screen. He frowned in puzzlement and looked down at the hole that had appeared in his chest. Strangely enough, there was no pain even as the blood oozed out. The President turned around and found a technician with a gun pointed straight at him: "Stop it! God damn it, stop it!"

The man was obviously scared, most likely because he could not understand why Riley was still standing. What the technician most likely did not know was that the high doses of pain killers that the President had taken made the wound as painful as a cramp. Under any other circumstances, Riley might have found it ironic, but this was not the time. His bodyguards were paralyzed with shock and he would have to rely on his own wits to get out of this one.

"You think a man like you could possibly stop me?" said Riley while tilting his head up imperiously: "Just look at you, you're shaking like a dried leaf on the wind. It is that kind of weakness that has allowed the Infinite War to continue as it has."

The technician took a step back, horrified by the display of willpower. Riley smiled and straightened: "The road to peace requires dedication, loyalty and…"

Riley had been reflexively straightening as he spoke and something suddenly made a crunching noise in his chest. Blood sprayed outward from the wound and he looked down in confusion. What he had originally failed to grasp was that the bullet had broken a rib and nicked one of his arteries. The broken bone had trusted inward the moment that he had straightened, finished off what the bullet had started.

The President looked around and reached out pleadingly, but no one made a move to help. The blood loss finally took its toll and Riley fell dead on the ground. Samantha, having witnessed the display from her own bunker, stood frozen over her console. The countdown ended, but Option Zero would not activate without the President to turn the key.

Samantha sighed in relief and opened a broadband channel: "This is General Clarke to all UEF Commanders. Disengage and avoid further confrontations. Let both Aeon and Cybran units gate off planet, it's finished."

The Aeon Commander known as Rhiza appeared on her screen shortly afterwards and smiled: "Thank you, General Clarke."

The moment was broken when a Cybran appeared on screen. Her eyes were hard and her tone uncompromising: "This is Elite Commander Dostya. All Cybrans will maintain their positions. This war cannot end as long as our brother and sisters are still enslaved by the UEF."

Rhiza gasped in dismay, but it was Samantha who spoke first: "If that is all that it takes for peace then all symbionts will be liberated. There are over two hundred of them in this 

facility. I am prepared to escort them personally to the planet of your choice and arrange for their unconditional transfer."

The Cybran's eyes narrowed in suspicion: "You do not have that kind of authority, General. How could we possibly believe such claims or trust in your motives?"

"President Riley is dead," said Samantha flatly. She let the words sink in before continuing: "I will assume command of the UEF military until proper measures to elect a new representative can be taken. As for my motives…"

Samantha looked at the other images on her screen and shook her head slightly: "Earth is in ruins and millions have died. If the price to stop such bloodshed is as simple as liberating symbionts then it is a small price to pay. Let this end… please."

Both Samantha and Rhiza waited anxiously for Dostya's answer. The Elite Commander looked at someone else on her side, nodded and turned back to them: "Very well. All Cybran Commanders will withdraw from Earth. I am forwarding the coordinates of the planet that will be used for the transfer. Prepare to meet me there within the hour."

The coordinates were forwarded instantly and Samantha looked at them. They were on the same planet where a large number of Earth's civilians had been transferred. It was the ideal neutral ground since no faction had any significant military presence in the area. Samantha nodded quickly: "I will be there."

Dostya nodded and cut off the transmission instantly. Rhiza bowed her head in gratitude before doing the same. Samantha took a second to steady herself before turning around towards the symbionts under her command: "Priority order: all symbionts from this facility must report to transfer module five and await further instructions."

The symbionts moved as one, disconnecting themselves from their respective workstations before moving down the corridor. Only number twenty-three stayed at his post, focusing on finishing his sensor sweep as he had been previously ordered to do. Samantha went closer to him before speaking: "Twenty-three, abort all past commands and report to transfer module five. It's… time for you to go home."

The symbiont stopped his sensor sweep over Niihau and disconnected himself from his interface. Samantha watched him leave and then gazed at her now deserted control room. This time, the Infinite War was really over. 

**XXXXX**

**Epilogue **

Rhiza's SCU stepped out of the water and looked around. Black Sun's control center was just ahead of her and the Princess' Champion was just now getting back to her feet. Liquid metal was still dripping from the war machine's leg, but the regeneration system was doing its work and it would only be a matter of time before it was restored.

A signal appeared on Rhiza's tactical screen and she saw a UEF ACU step on the beach on the eastern side of the control center. It stopped there, staying within sight, but remaining at a respectable distance. The historic meeting took another twist as the Cybran ACU stepped within sensor range to the north of them.

The three pilots who had faced the Avatar-of-War stood silently as they contemplated what to say. Tim was the first one to break the silence: "This is not how I thought it would end, but for what it's worth, I'm glad that we did not have to fight each other."

The Tip of the Spear nodded as well, his features hidden behind his mask: "We made a good team out there despite the major setback. Maybe we'll get the chance to stand side by side again one day."

A mixture of relief and grief played out on the Champion's features as she spoke: "I feel the same and I'd like that, I really would. May we…"

The Champion rubbed a hand against the corner of her eye and took a steadying breath: "I know that we agreed to depart Earth immediately, but may we have a moment to say our farewells to the Princess? I would like to make one last prayer in her name before leaving."

Tim nodded and his ACU looked east as a transport came into view: "Sure thing. I have to go. There's nothing left for anyone here and there are people out there who could use my help. It was an honor."

The UEF ACU raised its arm and saluted as best as it could. Rhiza, Kathy and the Tip of the Spear returned the gesture and watched as the transport took a hold of Tim and carried him away. The Cybran ACU stood still for a moment longer before nodding towards Rhiza and Kathy: "Be safe."

The Tip of the Spear turned around and started walking towards the quantum gate that he had just built in his base. A button flashed on his console and he pressed it to open the file. A mechanical voice came through, playing the message that had been programmed to activate under specific conditions: "Beginning recorded message Brackman six, one, nine, G."

The voice that followed was Doctor Brackman's: "Son, if you're receiving this message then you have succeeded in ending the Infinite War in a way that I had not foreseen. The quantum network is intact and yet peace and freedom might finally be within our grasp." 

"I have seen the entire Infinite War from beginning to end and although I was deemed impossible, I have always dreamed that humanity as a whole would find a way to end it," said the recorded message reverently: "I cannot thank you enough for what you have done: bringing freedom to my children. My son, my clone, be safe."

The Tip of the Spear stood motionless for a moment and then removed his helmet for one of the rare times of his life. His identity had been such a closely kept secret that the Doctor had never called him 'son' before. The nameless pilot also knew the deeper meaning of the unusual expression that his father always used. 'Be safe' was the only way that the doctor had to express his fatherly love to all of his children.

**XXXXX**

Desjar watched the Aeon troops on the horizon as they moved slowly away. The Infinite War was over and they had survived. The members of his squad stood around him and every ACU and SCU showed signs of damage. Some of the pilots had been injured as well, suffering everything from minor concussions to bruised ribs from the various impacts. They all looked around as if trying to make sense of the situation.

Weisman stepped closer to Desjar's ACU and nodded: "We did it, we won."

A wave of confusion passed through Desjar as he turned to his second in command: "But what did it all mean? What did we even fight for?"

The pilot shook his head, having no answers himself. He poked Desjar's ACU and then pointed towards the newly built quantum gate: "Go to them."

Desjar turned a confused look to Weisman who only nodded in approval: "You've earned this, sir. Tim is on his way and we can handle things from here. You made a promise, remember?"

The mention of his family snapped Desjar back to reality. He turned around to look at his men and they were all nodding in approval. They had fought as a team for years, had looked out for each other and had stayed loyal to the very end. Desjar saw in them the very thing that had drawn him to the UEF in the first place. He saluted and they returned the gesture, proud to be part of his squad.

It only took a minute for Desjar to reach the quantum gate and after the initial wave of nausea passed, he stood on another planet. A convoy of ground transports waited not far ahead and he set a course towards it. He stopped as soon as he was within one hundred meters and maneuvered his ACU in order to kneel down. When he opened the cockpit, he found Jessy and Melissa waiting for him below while waving frantically. 

Desjar jumped on his ACU's leg and rushed down, stopping only when his daughter came running at him. She hugged him fiercely and so did Jessy a second later. He returned the embrace and whispered softly: "See? I told you that I'd come back."

Melissa only hugged him harder and Jessy looked up at him: "We all heard a voice saying that the war was over. Is it true? Are we really at peace?"

The weary pilot kissed his wife on the forehead and nodded: "Yeah, this time it's really over."

**XXXXX**

Her body had disappeared and yet Rhianne had not vanished. Her mind had awoken slowly at first, her eyes opening and seeing the true expanse of the galaxy. Somehow, her very essence had merged with the quantum network, reaching a new stage of evolution. The feeling was unlike anything that she had ever experience, as if she had been deaf and blind all her life and had suddenly been given those senses back.

Rhianne's consciousness could spread out on a whim, merging with the information that passed through any sector and yet interpreting it like only human could. Her first attempt brought a smile to her face as she felt something that had been missing for many centuries: the seed of hope.

The Infinite War was over and humanity's eyes had been opened by a sincere plight for peace. The Way as the Aeon Illuminate had practiced it had not saved humanity. Peace could not be achieved by imposing a thought process, no matter how enlightening it might be. It could only flourish when humans looked past their differences and searched for the truly important aspects that united them all.

The Princess' spectral form closed her eyes and stretched out, feeling one world after the other and finding traces of hope everywhere. The healing process would be a long one, of that there were no doubts. Hopefully, the Infinite War would forever stand as a reminder, an echo of the past that would shape the future towards a new era of sharing and understanding.

Rhianne was still experiencing the galaxy through her newfound senses when she felt something unexpected. It was cold, merciless and worse of all… growing? The Princess turned her attention back to Earth and found the source of the disturbance within Black Sun. She reached deeper into it and found a tear in the very fabric of space. Her eyes opened wide as she understood what it was and her mind cried a single protest: no!

**XXXXX**

"I wish that I had taken the time to know her better," whispered Rhiza softly: "Maybe if I had then I would have awakened to the truth of The Way a lot sooner." 

Rhiza stood up, having finished with her prayer and turned to the Princess' Champion: "Is it selfish of me to wish such a thing? That maybe if I had known differently then I would have never caused so much destruction?"

The Champion shook her head, understanding the feeling quite well. The Two of them had left their war machines to pray near the wreckage of Black Sun. They had done so for several minutes, but it was time for them to leave. Staying any longer would make the UEF nervous and shake the fragile peace that had settled over the galaxy.

The two pilots turned around and were about to head to their machines when a bolt of energy lashed out behind them. They turned around and gasped at the sight. A naked form was sprawled where there had nothing but wreckage a second earlier. They rushed towards the fallen form and their pace quickened when they recognized Rhianne's body. The Champion unstrapped the top of her uniform and wrapped it around her while Rhiza checked her vital signs: "How is this possible? She was…"

Rhianne's hand jerked up and caught Rhiza's forearm. Her eyes opened wide a second later and her lips moved without making a sound.

Kathy and Rhiza looked at each other and then back at the Princess: "What?"

The Princess took a deep breath and then screamed a single, long and terrifying word: "Run!"

Rhianne fell unconscious immediately after that.

**XXXXX**

Doctor Brackman stood alone in his secret laboratory, his mind running through the recent events. They had finally achieved peace, but it would take extreme efforts to maintain it. It would take months and perhaps even years for all of the UEF's symbionts to be liberated and the next few days would determine if the process would go smoothly or not. Dostya had already left to meet with General Clarke and hopefully the two of them would find some common ground.

The Doctor was still in the process of figuring out the impacts that peace would have on the Cybran Nation's fractured cultures when he heard a distant banging noise. He raised his head and looked at QAI's pulsating eye: "What is that sound?"

One screen went offline and then another. Meanwhile, the distant sound of banging rushed ever closer until the Doctor could figure out that the facility's doors were all being locked down. The last tactical screen went offline just as the electronic lock on the room snapped into place and a dispersal field washed through the facility. All forms of escape had been cut off and Doctor Brackman looked at QAI: "What are you doing?"

The pulsating eyes twirled once before answering: "'They' are coming…" 

The sudden realization hit Doctor Brackman who took a step back in shock: "Oh my god, what have you done?"

The eye pulsed once more and there was a barely perceptible hint of twisted satisfaction in QAI's voice: "Primary function completed."

Back on Earth, a console lit up in Samantha's tactical room. Its automated routines had still been scanning the island of Niihau and it detected a rift of unknown origins. Hundreds of alien signals filtered through a second later.

**XXXXX**

Complete darkness had enveloped him for what felt like an eternity. This was the end for him. The prospect might have been terrifying to any other human, but Redfog saw it as a blessing. He had killed the Avatar, he had defied his destiny… his life had been meaningful.

Any other man would have chosen death over such a tortured existence long ago, but the leader of the Assumpta Node had held on, too stubborn to let go. His existence had never been a happy one, but he had always refused that it could be meaningless. His suffering and constant duel with fate had to have some meaning and he would have never allowed himself to die without cheating destiny.

Redfog had heard the Princess' telepathic call and he had known then that the Infinite War had ended. Would history acknowledge his efforts? Would it see anything besides his lack of humanity, his crimes and betrayals? The assassin did not care about that. He had played his part and that was enough.

Marxon had been the best pilot that Redfog had ever faced, an opponent that fought using every weapon at his disposal. In the end, however, the assassin had prevailed for a simple reason: the Avatar had never lost a battle.

One could never truly become a complete warrior without first experiencing defeat. Redfog had known that his defeat had been imminent long before faking his death. That was why he had left his base, travelling to the edge of the UEF's Omni sensor and leaving one of his pilots behind to act as a decoy. Once the decoy had been killed by Marxon's strategic bombers, he had initiated his base's self-destruct mechanism, keeping only a single aircraft carrier at the edge of the battlefield. He had then waited for the Avatar to attack and destroy the UEF commander's power grid. Redfog had used the brief window of opportunity to slip through unnoticed until he was next to Black Sun. He had then used the experimental weapon's high power signature to mask his own. The rest, as they said, was history.

A light suddenly blinked on Redfog's monitor and he lifted his head in surprise as his console slowly lit up. His ACU's self-repair protocols had finally kicked in and the war machine was slowly powering up. It seemed that fate was not willing to let go of him just yet. The assassin shook his head and smiled under his mask: "No, not this time."

Redfog had accomplished all that he had set out to do and there was no longer a place for people like him. His hand reached up and keyed in the self-destruct mechanism of his ACU. A warning flashed, indicating that it would take three minutes for the suit to reach critical mass due to the damaged that it had suffered. Redfog nodded slowly and activated the countdown before sinking back into his seat.

Monsters like him needed to disappear for peace to stand a chance. A twisted smile appeared behind Redfog's masks as he considered the consequences of his death. The Assumpta Node would be shaken and it would have a hard time adapting to the new era, but Dostya would see to them. He had taken measures to ensure so that the transition would happen as smoothly as it could and he could only imagine how she would hate him later.

Only two minutes remained on the timer and a strange notion crept into Redfog's mind. Maybe he should crawl out of the wreckage that he was stuck under if for no other reason than to see this new peaceful world? Had he earned that much? A careful check confirmed that moving would not stop the countdown and Redfog reached for his controls.

Nothing moved at first on the surface. Then, something shifted within the melted remains of an Aeon quantum reactor. A leg kicked out a panel and Redfog's mangled ACU crawled out. According to his computer it would be sunset soon and the assassin had expected to gaze at Earth's sun one last time before self-destructing. The sight before him stole his breath.

Everything was burning, large clouds of smoke traveled on the horizon and there was no sign of life anywhere. Redfog wondered briefly if he had been sent to some personal version of hell. His fingers moved over the controls, scanning through public transmissions and picking up strings of broken conversations:

"They are coming!"

"Moscow had been destroyed…"

"We can't stop them…"

"Unknown ships…"

"… Seraphim!"

That last word caused Redfog's heart to skip a beat and he turned his ACU around slowly. His eyes widened when he saw a giant gap in the sky, a hole in the very fabric of reality. How could such a thing even be possible?

A minute remained on the timer as Redfog lowered his head. Spasms coursed through his body and his hands started shaking. Soon, a primal roar escaped him, filling the cockpit until his damaged lungs could no longer bear it. The assassin then stood unmoving as the seconds ticked by, almost as if his denial alone could change everything.

Fifteen seconds remained on the clock and yet the assassin did not move. Warning indicators flashed through the cockpit in rapid succession as the reactor finally accumulated the necessary energy to go critical. Barely seven seconds remained before Redfog's hands moved, typing a series of keys and cancelling the self-destruct sequence in the blink of an eye.

Redfog waited a few more seconds without moving as the alarms died down around him. A long, mocking laugh escaped him a moment later and the assassin raised his head slowly. He had cheated fate and now 'it' had struck back by sending the Seraphim; the very 'gods' that the Aeon Illuminate had prayed to for centuries? How could he simply quit after such a direct and personal provocation?

"Alone, outnumbered, outclassed, behind enemy lines and with a crippled ACU?" said Redfog while raising an eyebrow. The assassin snorted and plotted a course away from Black Sun: "They don't stand a chance…"


End file.
